


Bechloe Xmas 2019

by when_you_know_you_know



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Christmas, Established, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Lovers, pre-established
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 27,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22386700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/when_you_know_you_know/pseuds/when_you_know_you_know
Summary: A one shot posted for each day of December leading up to Christmas, using prompts from Tumblr followers :)
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Caught

Chloe stood, wrapped in a thick blue wool scarf, looking up at the large house in awe. She had to hand it to Beca’s Mom, the woman had done alright for herself considering the father of her two children walked out of the family home when Beca had only been twelve years old. The house was grand and despite being a self-confessed lover of Christmas, Chloe was certain she’d never seen such a beautifully decorated domestic building.

“My Mom goes to town on Christmas decorations every year so…I hope you packed sunglasses.” Beca muttered in a dry tone, arriving by Chloe’s side on the doorstep with their respective suitcases that she’d insisted she bring over from the car _alone_. Chloe just beamed, her eyes wide in wonder.

“I _love_ it!!” she exclaimed. And just as she did, the front door swung open.

“Chloeeeee!!!” came the loud sing-song voice of Beca’s Mom, and the redhead was engulfed almost immediately by a pair of arms that weren’t too dissimilar in size to that of her daughter. Chloe was taken aback by the warm reception from a woman she’d never met before, but a chuckle fell from her mouth when she peered over Beca’s Mom’s shoulder, to see Beca looking equally surprised with a hint of unease.

“My God aren’t you _beautiful_!” the older woman cried out in delight as she stepped back from Chloe to hold her out at arms length.

“Gee Mom, cool it will ya?” Beca replied in an unimpressed tone while Chloe chuckled once more and Pam Washington (née Mitchell, née Forbes) rolled her eyes with a tut as she looked over at her youngest daughter.

“It’s _Christmas_ , Beca! And you’re finally bringing Chloe home to celebrate with us!”

Chloe’s eyebrows rose, looking over to Beca whose cheeks had flushed crimson - a fault that wasn’t of the chilly December air. What did _that_ mean??

“ _Mom_ …!” Beca hissed behind clenched teeth, her eyes wide and threatening, and it caused nothing more than a chuckle to fall from Mrs Washington’s mouth while she dropped her hands from Chloe’s arms and pulled her daughter into a warm embrace.

“Oh darling!” Chloe heard Beca’s mother cry out in joy, and the redhead grinned, enjoying the way Beca seemed to squirm a little at her mother’s teasing, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without me embarrassing you!”

They parted and Beca ran the palm of her hand up her nose with an awkward sniff, as though trying to reset herself. But Chloe could tell her best friend was feeling uncomfortable about something. Though what, she couldn’t be sure.

“Now then,” Pam began brightly, ushering the two young women inside, Beca dragging the suitcases behind them, “your brother is up in his room. You know how he gets so wait for him to come to you.” she added with a flap of her hand as though it were no big deal - though Chloe found it a little odd, “In the meantime, Beca we’re redecorating the guest room so Chloe will have to share with you.”

The information was a surprise, but not because Chloe had never shared a bed with Beca - far from it. In fact the two shared a bed every day thanks to the tiny studio apartment they rented with Fat Amy. It was a surprise because Beca seemed to squint her eyes suspiciously.

“Oh reeeeeally…” the young brunette said, and the mother blinked innocently.

“Yep.”

“You and David decided to redecorate.” Beca continued.

“Uhuh!”

“Over the holidays.”

“Yes.”

“When you knew we had a guest.”

“Yes, Beca, yes. But it _needed_ doing.” Pam insisted. Chloe smiled at the interaction. Because Beca looked so much like her mother it were as though her best friend was talking to her future-self. “So if you’d like to take your things up to your room and show Chloe where the bathroom is, then I’ll finish getting lunch ready.” Chloe stooped down to pick up her suitcase, “Chloe darling, are you still vegan?”

“Oh, um-“ Chloe began, pausing awkwardly but not needing to say anything because a frustrated groan fell from Beca’s mouth, and the brunette’s expression matched her tone.

“ _Vegetarian_ , Mom! God don’t you _ever_ listen??”

“Oh!” Pam swallowed loudly, clearing her throat, “Well…lunch will probably taste a bit odd then.”

Chloe couldn’t help the smile that swept across her face as Pam waited a beat then headed through to the back of the house and presumably to the kitchen. Beca’s Mom was really rather sweet. No wonder Beca spoke so fondly of her. Well…fondly for Beca.

As they headed up the stairs, Beca muttered an apology to which Chloe simply chuckled at. It was nice being somewhere new. Being somewhere that Beca knew so well. The place that, when asked where her childhood ‘home’ was, she would immediately say here. Chloe already felt closer to Beca for being here, and she’d only entered the house two minutes ago.

As they approached a closed door, they slowed to a stop and Chloe watched in mild amusement while Beca frowned at an A4 sign stuck to the door with the words ‘ _Do not enter! Decorating in progress_!’ written on it. Evidently this was the door to the guest bedroom that Beca had expected Chloe to be staying in.

“God the commitment levels are high..” Beca muttered, before letting out a sigh and motioning her head to a door up ahead of them, “Come on.”

Chloe followed her best friend, her heart skipping a beat at the bedroom as they entered. Looking around she was a little surprised by the appearance of the room around her. This certainly didn’t look like a childhood bedroom that an adult would return to. No, this bedroom looked immaculate and _mature_. The only artwork on the walls was a framed ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ movie poster, and a canvas picture of a large flower painted in acrylic. The bed was a sizeable double with covers in a beautiful Christmassy red flannel design. And other than a few photos in frames on the vanity table, and a load of novels on a bookshelf, the room was pretty much empty!

“Wow…” Chloe said as she watched Beca fall back onto her bed with a tired groan, “… this isn’t how I pictured your childhood bedroom.”

“Yeah this wasn’t how it was but Mom’s husband’s a bit of neat-freak so we had to haul some of our belongings into the trash.” Chloe’s gasp had an amused smile poking onto Beca’s face, and the brunette sat up, “It’s alright. Most of it _was_ trash. The rest we put in boxes and they’re now in the basement ready for when we get our own places one day.”

“Still,” Chloe said, wandering over to the bed to sit beside her best friend, “I couldn’t ever imagine having to choose between so many sentimental things! Though…I guess with mom and dads divorce I’ll have to at some point.”

A silence fell between them as they’re both reminded of Chloe’s sad situation involving her quarrelling parents. Chloe, looked down at her hands, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Beca was watching her cautiously. She wished she knew what she was thinking. She lifted her gaze to look back at the brunette.

Suddenly Chloe let out a yelp, gasping for breath.

“ _Dude_!!” Beca cried out, having followed Chloe’s eyeline to see her older brother stood silently in the doorway, staring blankly at them. He had a fidget spinner in his left hand, and a single dice in his right. “You scared us!”

“Are you Chloe?” the young man said in a plain and serious voice. Chloe felt a little confused and unnerved by his tone. He seemed…intense. Over the years that Chloe had known Beca she’d known she had a brother. An _older_ brother. But Beca never talked about him. And certainly never seemed to talk _to_ him.

“Uh, yeah,” Beca said with a sigh, standing up and motioning to the redhead beside her who also stood, “yeah this is Chloe. Chloe, this is my brother, Miles.”

Chloe made to step over to the man and shake his hand, but he didn’t seem to react warmly to her. Nor did he appear to react coolley. In fact…he just glanced down at her hand then back up again.

“Are you Beca’s girlfriend yet?”

“Dude!!” Beca practically yelped, lunging for her brother and her best friend. Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth as Beca added, “She’s a girl who is my friend, yes.”

“So you’re not in a romantic or sexual relationship with her?” He asked seriously, looking at his sister intently.

“Ugh _no_! No-”

“-But why not? You’re in love with her.”

“I’m not- ha- he…he-he’s joking.”

“No I’m not. You said to Mom on the phone just last Wednesday at 1.42pm that you were still in love with Chloe, and that was when Mom suggested _again_ that you and Chloe share a bed while you both stay here over the holidays and you insisted it’d be weird. So she came up with a plan to make sure you both shared anyway.”

“I’m not gay.” Beca quickly replied in a flap, but to Chloe’s continued amusement at the siblings’ interaction, Miles was having none of his younger sister’s denial.

“Of course you are.” He said seriously, “On Thanksgiving in 2001 I caught you making cousin Lindsay touch tongues with you. You were wearing a red polka dot dress and she was wearing a yellow dress with blue bows on. You said you wondered what it felt like and she was always trying to impress you so agreed to do it.” Beca opened her mouth to protest but her brother wasn’t finished, continuing in a blank tone, “Unless of course you’re bisexual which would explain why you had a poster of Leonardo Dicaprio on your bedroom door until 2004 which you ripped down in protest when Dad left. Your bisexuality would also explain why you dated Jesse in college, even though you weren’t sure yourself why you were doing it. On October 6th 2013 you called Mom to tell her that you weren’t sure if dating Jesse was the right thing to keep doing because you were really seriously falling for Chloe-”

“-please stop.” Beca mumbled while her hand was at her forehead. Chloe’s mouth hung open in shock.

“-you said you were confused because Jesse was such a nice guy but that Chloe was ‘super hot’ and that you felt really comfortable with her. Mom suggested you just break up with Jesse and ask Chloe out instead. You called her back the next day in tears because you found out Chloe had started dating a new guy on her course. You stayed with Jesse when you still had strong feelings for Chloe. This is why you’re bisexual.”

Beca had her face in her hands by this point and Chloe, who admittedly boasted pink cheeks, smiled in shock at all that was being said. From the look of Beca’s reaction, everything Miles was saying was true. And Chloe’s heart skipped a beat once more. Beca was _in_ _love_ with her??

“This is not happening.” Beca mumbled, her words muffled against her palms. She looked back up at her brother with an irritated expression, “Could you not even play it cool just a little??” she begged, but Miles seemed confused by the rhetorical question.

“But I don’t wanna play it cool.” he replied, “I’m the perfect temperature. Any cooler and I’ll have to put another sweater on and I feel uncomfortable and chlaustraphobic when I wear too many sweaters.”

Nothing but a groan of frustration fell from Beca’s mouth. Chloe watched Miles curiously, until it suddenly clicked. His behaviour. His honesty. The way he rolled the dice around in his cupped hand over and over. Beca’s brother was _autistic_.

“I like the sweater you’re wearing now, Miles.” Chloe said kindly, pointing at the navy blue sweater he wore. It seemed well-worn. As though it was his favourite sweater.

The man looked to Chloe and, his expression unchanging, gave her a curt nod, “Thank you. It’s my favourite. It has just the right ratio of wool to cotton.” and Chloe didn’t doubt him for one second.

Beca, meanwhile, wanted to take advantage of her older brother’s honesty for the time being, snapping her head up, “When you say Mom came up with a plan to make sure me and Chloe shared a bed…”

“She’s pretending that David’s redecorating the guest bedroom. That’s why Chloe can’t stay in there.”

“I _knew_ it.” Beca muttered, and Chloe couldn’t help the smile on her face as Beca looked to her with a grimace, “Sorry Chlo.”

“Why are you sorry?” Miles asked, his expression and voice continuing to remain blank, “You both share a bed in Brooklyn. This should be easy for you.”

“It would’ve been if you hadn’t revealed _something specific!_ ” Beca growled the last two words in a low tone between her teeth and Miles just blinked slowly at her.

“My sweater?” he asked.

“No, the _love_ thing.” Chloe caught Beca’s quiet words as she mumbled them into her brother’s ear before leaning back.

“You mean the fact that you’re in love with Chloe?” Miles asked, in a blank clear tone that had Beca cringing openly while Chloe smiled, “That you’ve been in love with her for two years and that you’ve been crushing on her since college and that you hope some day she’ll feel the same way too and-”

Chloe’s head was spinning as Miles’ sentence was cut off by Beca throwing her hand on the man’s mouth, causing Miles to immediately squirm out of her contact. He appeared to hate being touched and from the looks of things Beca knew that.

“Get out!!” Beca barked. Miles hesitated, clearly processing the order. But just as he was about to turn on the spot and leave, the sound of Pam’s voice bounced up from downstairs:

“Lunch is ready!!!”

Chloe watched in amusement as the man strode away from the open door of his sister’s bedroom. She then glanced at Beca who was watching him go, somewhat unnerved by all that had just been said. But Chloe didn’t want Beca feeling bad. She wanted her best friend to enjoy this holiday season.

So she reached out and took Beca’s hand, giving it an assuring squeeze.

“Come on.” she said with a chuckle and an affectionate tone, “Let’s see what sort of Vegan masterpiece your Mom’s rustled up.”

She watched as Beca took a deep intake of breath before exhaling through her nose, giving Chloe a nod. And the two best friends headed out of the bedroom, no longer holding hands, but going over and over in their minds what Miles had just revealed. Chloe both thrilled and shocked by it; Beca both horrified and worried…


	2. Stranded

“Great!! Just _great_!” Chloe growls loudly, kicking the generator before her then letting out a yelp as pain ricochets up her leg.

“Problem in paradise, Princess?” comes the smarmy voice that has the redhead’s blood boiling and her bright blue eyes shoot across the walkway and land on the petite figure leaning against the metal wall with a smirk on her face, arms folded. Chloe’s eyebrows furrow, scowling as she clears her throat in an attempt to mask her embarrassment at hurting herself.

“ _No_.” she insists, “It’s none of your concern.”

She watches as the woman pushes herself upright off the wall, her arms still folded while she slowly heads towards the redhead. Beca had been a stowaway on Chloe’s small speeder ship five days ago. The second the princess had discovered the rogue, Chloe had attempted to boot her off at the nearest ship depot. The problem was, Chloe had somehow managed to get on the wrong side of some shady space thugs, and as a result Beca had managed to save Chloe from a couple of scrapes. The redhead was, reluctantly, morally in debted to her. And over the past couple of days couped up at lightspeed across the galaxy, Chloe had found herself falling for the woman’s charm despite Beca’s often protentious nature..

“Funny that…” Beca says, coming to a stop before Chloe, “…because I could’ve _sworn_ I was the other shipmate here. So it kinda _does_ concern me.”

The distance between them lessens as Beca leans closer to the redhead and Chloe swallows loudly, her mouth going dry as she stares into the deep blue eyes of the beautiful rogue in front of her. Her heart begins to hammer in excitement. A few hours ago they’d-

“Want me to take a look at it?” Beca asks, cocking her eyebrow with a confident lop-sided grin. Chloe isn’t sure when it happened, but she finds that her hands have reached up to clench fistfuls of the front of the rogue’s leather jacket. She sees the way Beca’s eyes drift slowly from her eyes down to her lips, and it causes a lump to form in Chloe’s throat.

“It doesn’t hurt that much.” are the words coming from Chloe’s mouth, though her tone is so croaky she almost immediately flushes red in embarrassment. Unfortunately Beca picks up on it and chuckles.

“Good to know,” she replies in a playful tone, “but I was actually talking about the generator you were just kicking.”

Chloe’s further embarrassment means she practically sinks backwards and in doing so ends up leaning her back against the ship’s wall, pulling Beca a little of the way with her. The brunette lets Chloe take the lead and happily allows the woman to pull her body against hers. The tension is palpable as their breathing begins to increase, their chests pushing against each other’s.

“If we don’t get the generator up and running we’ll remain stranded.” Chloe mumbles, her nose nudging in the nook of Beca’s, her body tingling at the feel of the woman’s breath washing over her face.

“What a shame.” Beca mutters, a grin on her face as she enjoys the feel of Chloe’s nose pressing against her cheek. She smooths her hands across Chloe’s hips, cupping them, then gently squeezing.

“It’s snowing. It’ll get cold.” Chloe tries to counteract, and while her head is screaming at her to be sensible and sort the generator out, her heart is urging her to continue as she is and to perhaps take things further with this charming beautiful rogue once again.

“I’m sure we can find ways to keep warm.” Beca mumbles into Chloe’s mouth as her lips whisp over the redhead’s lips, tantalising and enticing.

Chloe leans her head back for a moment to try to read Beca’s facial expression. She’s going to get hurt. Somewhere down the line she always gets hurt no matter who she falls for. Beca will be no different. The woman will break her heart one day. But for now, in some far corner of this galaxy, Chloe is willing to take that risk.

With a deep breath Chloe surges her face forward, locking Beca in a piercing kiss, and a sexual urge begins to bubble within her as her ‘stowaway’ reciprocates the pressure while pushing her up against the walls of the small ship.


	3. Black Widow

Beca Mitchell shuffled her butt in one of the uncomfortable seats of the school auditorium. _Why_ they had to get here so early she’d never know - especially when Fat Amy had arrived almost an hour before the doors had even opened in order to get the best seat in the house and reserve some for her best friend too. Though Beca would’ve picked the front row if they were doing ‘best seats’. Like a basketball game at Madison Square Gardens - if you wanna get in on the action and fully appreciate it, you get front row seats. But Amy had gone for the middle…

“Excuse me…sorry…oop! Sorry…excuse me…thanks…”

Beca looked down the row to see her wife slipping past fellow parents in the awful awkward way that people did when their seat was some way along a row of already occupied seats. The brunette couldn’t help the smile on her face when she saw just how excited and a little anxious Chloe was. Whenever the woman was excited about something, Beca knew that really the best thing she could do was go along with it. Which was why she’d arrived early with the redhead just to snag the ‘best seats’ that Amy had got.

“How’s she doing?” Beca asked as her wife took a seat beside her with a huge sigh of relief.

“Yeah good. She’s nervous, obviously. But mostly excited.” Chloe replied, pulling a small tube of hand cream from her handbag and offering her wife a drop before placing a small blob on her own hand and rubbing it in.

“Not surprised.” Beca said, rubbing her portion of the hand cream into her skin, “It’s a pretty big part. But you’ve drilled her well.”

Chloe smiled gratefully then looked past Beca, her smile suddenly growing. Beca followed her gaze to see Aubrey, Stacie, then Emily shifting their way down the row towards them. The noise around them rose as the old friends all greeted one another, though due to the tight space it was predominantly just waves, blown kisses, and cries of ‘hello’. The new arrivals were closely followed by Cynthia Rose, Flo, Jessica, then Ashley.

“I saw Lilly backstage.” Chloe explained loudly to Emily, over her wife and friends while the youngest Bella asked the woman’s whereabouts.

“Cheer up.” Beca said with a smirk, looking at Aubrey, “It’s a big night for our kids.”

“For _yours_ maybe.” Aubrey grumbled, which only caused Stacie to roll her eyes:

“Oh come _on_ , babe. We’ve talked about this!”

Beca couldn’t help the smirk on her face growing. Fifteen years on and she and Aubrey were still ridiculously competitive. In this particular situation she’d won. Her daughter had landed the role of ‘Black Widow’ in Barden Elementary School’s Christmas production of ‘Avengers’. And Aubrey’s daughter had landed the role of-

“She’s _The Hulk_ , Stacie!” Aubrey snapped back, “ _The Hulk_!! Our beautiful goddess of a daughter is playing a giant ugly green monster!”

“You heard her teacher’s reasoning for casting her as Bryce Banner.” Stacie continued, trying to justify the strange decision, “It’s just because she’s the tallest in the class.”

“By a long shot.” Beca added unhelpfully and she received a glare from Aubrey.

“I thought The Hulk was one of the main Avengers?” Chloe asked, having listened in on her wife’s conversation and adding her limited knowledge.

“He _is_ a main Avenger!” Stacie agreed, turning to her wife, “And making the character female instead makes Gi’s role unique and radical!”

“ _Very_ radical.” Chloe supported with a nod. But Aubrey’s arms were folded, a sign she was in a mood.

“Besides it’s not like she’s playing some useless role like Hawkeye-“ Beca began.

“-Heyyy!” cried Flo in protest of her son’s role in the production.

“-or Ant Man.”

“Oi!” Fat Amy bellowed, fiercely protective of her son who she deemed as the lead in this production alongside his twin sister who would be playing ‘The Wasp’ (“Isn’t it a bit weird to be having them play love interests?” Beca asked bluntly, grimacing slightly at the idea, to which her wife swiped her arm with a tut to behave.)

“Your daughter’s _The Hulk_!” Beca finished, ensuring she added gusto to the title, a grin poking into the corners of her mouth. She watched with glee as Aubrey glared at her.

Then, after a pause, the blonde took a sharp intake of breath, and rose to her feet, nudging at the legs of her wife:

“I’m gonna need to swap seats with you or I’m gonna kill her.”

“Fair.” Stacie agreed, rising to her feet and switching seats with Aubrey while Beca let out a loud cackle.

The Bellas settled as the lights went down and the theatre teacher took to the stage to introduce the parents to the evening’s performance. Beca felt Chloe take her hand and they squeezed their palms and fingers together excitably. This was it! And as a spotlight came on, they sat forward in their seats, eagerly awaiting the appearance of their daughter.


	4. Snowcone

Beca let out a short sharp sigh of frustration, her hands stuffed in her pockets as she strode down the sidewalk towards her apartment block. Life was tough: trying to establish herself working at a new recording studio, juggling Brooklyn bills and Brooklyn rent in the crazy expensive adult world, getting her head around the knowledge that she was no longer a student and hadn’t been for eighteen months now.

But the biggest challenge wasn’t dealing with the huge changes that were relatively new still. It was dealing with a challenge that she’d inherited. A challenge from her past. A past that she’d successfully kept secret from her friends for as long as she’d known them.

And that challenge came in the form of a young little reindeer called ‘Snowcone’.

The brunette glanced over her shoulder, and rolled her eyes while she continued walking. A few feet behind her, floating innocently a tiny bit off the snow-covered ground was the reindeer in question. He’d been sat a booth at her work, waiting patiently for her arrival, an envelope tied by some string to a beautiful felt collar around his neck. And in that envelope was a letter from Santa Claus himself - Beca’s grandfather.

Beca sighed once more, trudging through the snow with a scowl on her face as she looked up ahead of her. ‘ _Sent to remind her of her roots_ ’ apparently, that’s what her grandfather had said about Snowcone. And while Beca could concede that yes, Snowcone was cute, and yes he was the perfect size for her in terms of ‘pet stature’, there was no way she could _ever_ afford to keep him. If she even did want to keep him of course. Which she didn’t. Keeping him would mean that her two roommates - Chloe and Fat Amy - would inevitably ask questions which would lead Beca to revealing that she was one of the sixty grandchildren that Santa Claus had. Which would mean Beca would finally face the side of her heritage that she was most embarrassed about.

“Ugh can’t you just…go back to the North Pole and tell Grandad that I don’t _want_ to keep you here??” she grumbled to the reindeer just as Snowcone bumped into the back of her thighs, clearly having got a little too excited and clumsy and sped up to catch Beca. Naturally the little animal looked up at her adoringly and after a short moment the brunette let out a groan and huge sigh, looking to the sky before hanging her head.

“C’mon.” she mumbled reluctantly, heading up the steps of her apartment block. And she didn’t need to look to know that the little white reindeer followed her obediently.

—

“If I let you inside you’re gonna have to stop floating or-or flying or…whatever it is you’re doing right now.” Beca said, looking down at Snowcone while he floated beside her with a content look on his face. She reached out and gently placed her hand on his back, coaxing out a noise that could best be described as a ‘reindeer purr’. Beca pushed him down gently until all four hooves met the floor. “There. Like that. Just like that. Stay on the ground.”

She pulled her keys from her coat pocket and in doing so had taken her hand from Snowcone’s back. The animal left the floor once more and floated back up to hip-height, his little legs kicking gently. But Beca hadnt noticed, and proceeded to unlock the door to the studio apartment she rented with Chloe and Fat Amy.

As she pushed the door open, she entered, peering around the door into the small kitchen area to see Chloe with her back turned, busy cooking something over the stove.

“Heyyy!” the redhead chimed, and Beca quickly ushered her little reindeer inside, pushing him back down onto the ground.

“Uh, hey.” Beca replied as casually as possible so as not to draw any attention. She herded Snowcone behind the armchair, and crouched down to his standing height. “ _Stay here, and don’t make a noise._ ” she whispered, not realising that she was stroking behind his ears while she spoke, causing the little reindeer to make that odd low purring noise again.

“What’re you doing?” Chloe asked and Beca flew upright, turning on the spot and clearing her throat to see her best friend looking over at her with an amused expression on her face.

“I uh…was pulling my socks up.” Beca answered, and Chloe’s eyebrows rose.

“Your socks.”

“Yep.”

“Where were you pulling them up from?” Chloe asked suspiciously, and Beca’s brow furrowed.

“Huh?”

“You’re not _wearing_ any socks.” Chloe added, a tiny smile pinching in the corner of her mouth.

“Oh!” Beca looked down at her boots. _Crap_. She was wearing pantyhose today. “Oh yeah. Weird.”

Beca looked up at Chloe who let out a chuckle, the redhead shaking her head with a muttered, “Weirdo.” before turning back to the stove and the other woman let out a sigh of relief. But Beca’s heart suddenly leapt into her throat when she turned and saw Fat Amy sat up on her own bed on the other side of the studio apartment with her mouth hung open in shock.

Shit. Fat Amy had spotted Snowcone.

And Beca turned to see the little reindeer peering over the top of the armchair, clearing having just floated up to see what was going on. What the hell was she going to do??


	5. Flannel Sheets

**(aka ‘[Caught](https://asweetmelodytrickling.tumblr.com/post/189405916233/for-bechloe-xmas-caught-bechloe-xmas-2019)’ part 2)**

“Wh-what??” Beca blurted, a weird grin on her face while she went over in her head what Chloe had just slurred.

“I said I’m in love with you too.” Chloe repeated, clearing her throat as she sat in the middle of the large bed beneath the red flannel sheets. In _nothing but her underwear_. And she blinked back at Beca slowly.

“Yeah I uh…” Beca paused, bringing her hands to her hips and taking in the sight before her. Her head was swimming and her body felt a little numb. Props to her Mom for successfully concocting the strongest Christmas Eve eggnog ever. Now it was approaching midnight and the two best friends had stumbled up to Beca’s bedroom to try to get some sleep before tomorrow. “Yeah, no, I heard what you said it’s just I…” she paused once again, checking if Chloe was just messing with her. But as far as Beca could tell in her alcohol induced state, Chloe was being deadly serious. “I-I can’t work out if you’re joking.”

The room fell silent as Beca and Chloe both stared at each other: Beca waiting for Chloe’s answer, Chloe trying to decide what she could say or do to support her statement.

The brunette swallowed loudly and shuffled her weight from one foot to the other when she watched Chloe slip out from beneath the sheets. The older woman slowly approached, stopping right before her. And the two best friends looked into one another’s eyes.

Beca didn’t know what to do. Or say. Normally after a few drinks she had a good helping of confidence. But she didn’t feel that confidence right now. Which was weird because this was _Chloe_! A couple of jokey, sarcastic words and Beca would be able to break the tension here and not risk her heart being broken.

But after a few beats, Beca watched as her best friend appeared to take a deep shaky breath, before reaching up to gently cup her cheeks. Chloe’s face came closer and closer, her bright blue eyes flickering down at the brunette’s lips. And Beca was trying to process all that was happening as quickly as possible so that she could enjoy it.

“You think I’d do this if I was joking?” Chloe mumbled, her breath smelling of eggnog as it washed over Beca’s face. But Beca didn’t care, assuming her own breath smelt of eggnog too. She was a little caught up in the way her best friend’s lips were getting nearer and nearer and-

 _Bam_. The instant they enclosed gently around Beca’s lips the brunette felt certain she heard angels singing (Or it was her Mom suddenly playing Christmas carols loudly downstairs, she couldn’t be sure). All she knew was that this was all the confirmation she needed. _Chloe was kissing her_. And she was kissing her because she _wanted_ to.

Beca’s arms smoothed around Chloe’s bare waist, her palms practically tingling at the feel of Chloe’s soft skin. They both inhaled deeply through their noses, their kiss becoming firmer while they complimented each other’s hum of approval. Soon it came to a natural end, and both Beca and Chloe let out contented sighs as their kiss broke and they parted only far enough to catch their breath properly while their foreheads remained in contact.

“That um…” Beca croaked, swooping her tongue across her bottom lip before revealing a coy smile, “that was nice.”

“Uhuh.” Chloe replied, a smile growing on her face, having dropped her hands to the hem of Beca’s shirt.

“We should uh…” Beca paused to let out a soft sigh as she felt Chloe’s hands begin to sneak beneath her shirt, “maybe clean our teeth n stuff then… maybe go to bed?”

“ _Sounds like a good idea_.” Chloe whispered, nudging her nose against Beca’s playfully. And Beca let out a longer sigh as her best friends hands found their way up to her boobs, palming the cups of her bra. Her pussy began to throb in anticipation as her mind moved to the bed and how Chloe’s body would feel beneath those covers.

Her lips found their way back to the redhead’s, this time conducting a deeper kiss. And the moment their tongues met in Chloe’s mouth, Beca had already decided that she didn’t want to ruin the risk of killing the mood by separating to clean their teeth.

“On Second thoughts,” Beca mumbled into Chloe’s mouth, “let’s just go to bed.”

Their kiss broke again and Beca enjoyed the broad smile on Chloe’s face while she watched the redhead take a step back before proceeding to take the remainder of her clothes off: her bra and panties. This wasn’t the first time Beca had seen her best friend naked of course. After all, they _did_ share a studio apartment, which meant there was no room to be prudish. But it was the first time Beca had openly watched Chloe strip, her mouth becoming moist in anticipation as her eyes found their way to Chloe’s breasts.

“Wanna get your mouth around these?” Chloe asked boldly, cupping beneath her boobs and giving them a jiggle while she giggled at Beca’s rising eyebrows.

“Do I!” Beca blurted, and in a flash began undoing the buttons of her pants.

To her disappointment, a series of knocks sounded at her bedroom door - _knock, knock, knock-knock-knock-knock, knock, knock_. Her brother’s knock. And she knew her brother. He didn’t stop until someone finally opened the door.

Beca’s shoulders sunk and she rolled her eyes as naked Chloe let out a bit of a cackle while dashing over to the bed, scrambling to get beneath the covers. The brunette turned on the spot and let out a sigh while she padded over to her bedroom door and opened it.

“Yes?”

“Beca, Mom was saying that you and Chloe were gonna have sex tonight.” Miles said blankly and Beca let out a heavy sigh.

“Of course she did…” she said in an unimpressed tone. That explained the loud music blasting downstairs. Evidently Beca’s mother wanted to be the ‘ultimate wing woman’ so that her daughter could be as loud as she wanted.

“Yes so, with that in mind, I’ve been doing some research and it says that while Lesbian’s can’t get pregnant they really should practice safe se-“

But Miles didn’t get to the end of his sentence, because Beca had taken a step back and had slammed the bedroom door in his face. She let out a sigh of frustration then turned to see Chloe grinning at her from her bed, tucked naked under the red flannel sheets.

A broad smile spread on Beca’s face, enjoying the buzz she now felt from knowing what was about to come, in addition to the alcohol in her system. She peeled her shirt from her body and loved the way Chloe’s eyes widened in anticipation. But just as Beca went to pull her pants down, she heard Miles’ knock once again. Her eyes fluttered closed. He did it again, this time a little more urgently and Beca knew if she didn’t hear him out he’d never leave.

“What?” she snapped, having flung the door open angrily. Her older brother blinked back at her intently, completely missing the fact that she only wore a bra on her top half.

“-they really should practice safe sex.” he finished his sentence as though Beca had just stepped away for a minute and now wanted to hear the rest. He couldn’t be more wrong. But fortunately when her brother was concerned, Beca seemed to have an ounce more patience then she did for most people. So she continued to ‘listen’. “Washing hands first is important. The washing of any sex toys after use is also important.” Beca grimaced at her brother’s use of the words ‘ _sex toys_ ’. “And most importantly if you’re going to partake in oral sex with Chloe tonight, it’s probably wise you use a dental dam. It’ll reduce your risk of contracting an STI.”

Beca’s breath had already caught in her lungs and she was trying her hardest not to slam the door in his face again. Her cheeks were flushed pink in embarrassment, completely aware that Chloe would be listening to every single thing her brother was saying.

“Or her, when she gives oral sex to you-“

“-O-kay I think I’ve got the idea here. Thanks Miles!” Beca said quickly, and her brother blinked back at her innocently, “Anything else?”

“No, that’s everything I could find on the planned parenthood websi-“

“-Great. Thanks!” Beca blurted, and promptly slammed the door in his face again.

A giggle was heard rumbling from the bed behind her and Beca let out a heavy exhale to try to release her nerves. God he was so embarrassing! But fortunately, Chloe really did seem to be in love with her not to be too bothered.

“Come on.” Chloe patted the patch of bed beside her, “Get those clothes off, Mitchell, and show me what you got.”

Beca didn’t need asking twice, and with a smile growing on her face once again, she slipped her pants then panties off her body, before snapping off her bra. She looked back up at Chloe and her heart soared at the sight of the woman ogling her whilst keeping her bottom lip gripped firmly between her teeth.

By the time Beca had crept beneath the bedsheets, her feet were suitably cold, and as a result the moment they touched Chloe’s bare legs, the redhead let out a squeak.

“Sorry.” Beca muttered with a chuckle, pulling the flannel cover up further until it last over their ears, the two women playing on their sides, facing one another with goofy grins on their faces. They paused for a moment, looking into the others eyes. Then suddenly they dove their mouths forward, kissing passionately.

Chloe’s hands were quickly to sweep down to grab Beca’s ass, while the brunette initially swung her arms around Chloe’s neck. The feel of their naked bodies against each other door the first time had the knots in their stomachs releasing. And soon it felt as though this was it. As though this were the most normal and perfect thing in the world. That they’d found each other. That they would never need to kiss or be naked with anyone else ever again. Their hearts had found a home.

The kiss snapped apart with a gasp falling from both their mouths, a gasp that soon turned into a moan from Chloe as Beca ducked her face down to capture her right nipple in her mouth. Beca’s Tongue swirled in circles, sucking at intervals, enjoying the sounds they drew from her best friend.

Beca’s left hand, meanwhile, drifted down and quickly settled comfortably between Chloe’s legs, as though it’d been there before. And a sharp inhale sounded the second Beca slipped her index and middle finger between Chloe’s wet folds.

The smell of sex eminated beneath the red flannel bedsheets, building Beca and Chloe’s arousals. And once Beca’s middle finger slipped inside the redhead, her latch on the woman’s right breast broke, and she brought her lips to Chloe’s neck.

“God you feel good.” Beca mumbled, her words muffled against Chloe’s skin as she continued to place long sloppy kissed on her neck. And her words were met with a deeper moan as Chloe began shifting her hips against Beca’s hand, her orgasm building..


	6. Pregnancy Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the Two Years On AU

Beca furrowed her brow as she stood in the doorway of her teenage bedroom, peering inside. It was no surprise that the room had been redecorated shortly after she’d moved away to New York post graduation, her father having never liked her taste in music posters and excess mixing equipment that she’d not used in a long long time but had always refused to throw out in case she needed it one day. Now it was almost as impressive as some of the high-end hotels she sometimes stayed in. But none of those hotels held the sight that lay before her:

Chloe sat, perched on the edge of the bed, her face down in the palm of her hands, and she wept quietly. Beca’s heart lurched. She was confused. Was this hormones? Those awful pregnancy hormones that caused women to burst into tears for no reason? Chloe hadn’t done that before. Well…not yet. Not until now.

Beca swallowed loudly then slowly made her way into the room, closing the door up behind her. The sound caused her wife to suddenly sniff loudly, and as Beca looked back over she saw Chloe trying to hastily wipe away her tears.

“Hey.” Beca said in a hushed tone, taking a seat beside the redhead and immediately bringing a hand out to smooth over Chloe’s back, just the way she knew she liked, “Babe, what’s wrong?”

Chloe sniffed loudly then let out a heavy shaky sigh. She felt stupid. She _always_ felt stupid at the moment. Thank God her wife was so kind and understanding. But even Chloe had a hard time believing that Beca would be okay with what she was about to say. Because the pregnant woman had a hard time getting her head around it.

“It’s Sheila.” she eventually blurted with another shaky sigh, trying to steady her breathing following a good ol’ cry, “She’s so lovely but…”

Beca clenched her jaw. It was her dad who usually put his foot in it. It was her dad who usually upset people. It was never normally Sheila. Sheila was normally the mediator.

“…I just get really upset when she compares me to Janice’s son’s wife.”

The brunette hesitated. Janice? Like… Sheila’s best friend Janice? Janice whose son and daughter in law were expecting their first child three weeks before Beca and Chloe?

“Um…” Beca began, wanting to choose her words carefully while her wife sat beside her, boasting a pregnant belly under a Christmas sweater that _just_ fit her despite being bought specially for this year at a bigger size than Chloe had ever worn before. “What way has she been comparing, babe?”

Chloe let out a huge heavy shaky sigh, hating that she could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes once again. Why wouldn’t they stop?? She sniffed loudly, looking down at her fingers that had been busy pulling apart a soggy tissue.

“She’s always saying how _perfect_ Kate’s bump is. Like all perfect and round and…I’m not _like_ that. My bump _isn’t_ round. It’s not _perfect_. It’s not like in the movies or the magazines. I just look… _fat_!”

Chloe burst into tears at the final word, and Beca’s eyebrows rose while her wife threw her face into her shoulder and bawled against _her_ Christmas sweater. Beca held Chloe tight, trying to work out why the woman was so upset. Sheila wouldn’t have said those things to make Chloe feel uncomfortable or sad. She would’ve just been making conversation, pleased that there was someone else - Janice - who she could relate to.

“And-And…” Chloe blubbed, having moved her face from her wife to catch her breath, her head now resting on Beca shoulder instead, “…whenever Shelia looks at our baby scan she always says how perfect _Kate’s_ scan is and how clear it is and how ours is all blurry and…” Chloe paused to let out a sigh, “…I dunno I’m just being stupid and crying over nothing.”

“Hey. No.” Beca assured, holding the redhead that little bit tighter. If there was one thing Chloe’s father and brothers had taught her it was when any wife was pregnant, the best way to handle things when hormones and emotions were involved was to agree with everything and offer physical support until it was rejected. “You’re definitely _not_ being stupid.” she insisted, “Sheila won’t have said all that stuff to make you feel bad-”

“-I know.” Chloe interrupted in a quiet tone.

“-She’s just excited about the baby. That’s all.” Beca continued, “She’d be horrified if she knew she was making you feel insecure about your body. And you have nothing to feel insecure about, Chlo. Your body is _incredible_ and is currently doing one of the most incredible things in the world. You’re growing a frikkin _baby_!” Beca exclaimed, smiling affectionately at her wife who had let out a watery chuckle, sitting upright once again. “ _Our_ baby! So what if it’s not like the movies? So what if our scans are always blurry? Our baby is so frikkin active it never stays still long enough to be captured _perfectly_.”

Chloe looked over at her wife with a smile, already feeling heaps better, and she took Beca’s free hand that had been in her lap, placing it on her baby bump.

“I’d rather have an active healthy baby than a boring sleeping one any day.” Beca added finally in a gentle tone, bringing her face to Chloe’s to place a soft kiss on her lips, before leaning back and looking at her wife with a mischievous grin, “Besides, Kate can stuff her ‘perfect’ round bump and crappy unhealthy small frame. You’re _way_ sexier, Beale. And get hotter by the day.”

Chloe couldn’t help a bashful smile sweeping across her face at her wife’s compliment. She highly doubted she looked ‘way sexier’ given her hair got greasy within hours of washing nowadays (thanks pregnancy hormones), she was spotty as hell on her face (yeah _thanks_ pregnancy hormones), and with all the shifting her organs were doing to accommodate their rapidly growing baby she was finding that she was way more gassy than she ever used to be (grr, thanks a bunch pregnancy hormones!!). And yet, her wife _still_ looked at her as though she was a gift sent down to her from the gods.

“I love you, Mrs Beale.” Chloe mumbled gratefully, placing a kiss on Beca’s lips, and the brunette smiled as she replied:

“I love you too, Mrs Beale.”


	7. Shades

Chloe stood in the corner of a busy room, twirling between her fingers a frayed thread on the hem of her Christmas sweater. The one Beca had bought her as a cheesy secret Santa gift during college six years ago. A _lot_ had happened since then.

She’d finally graduated Barden. Had survived a temp job at a local bakery whilst living with her parents once again. Had moved to and had lived in Brooklyn for two years with Beca and Fat Amy. They’d all gone on a USO tour with The Bellas and consequently Beca had been offered a recording contract. Chloe had got into vet school. And in the first few months apart they both realised how much they felt for one another, and as a result had revealed last Christmas that they were crazy in love with the other.

Almost one year on and Chloe was partaking in her second year at vet school, her phone in one hand, waiting patiently for her girlfriend to text her back. She looked out at the people before her, chatting and laughing and drinking merrily at the annual vet school Christmas party. But a knot remained in her stomach. How could she possibly be happy when Beca wasn’t going to be home for Christmas this year?

This year marked the first Christmas holiday that Chloe wouldn’t see Beca at all. The first in _eight years_. And Chloe was bitterly disappointed. As was Beca apparently. Though at least the brunette was busy on a hectic promo tour instead of wallowing alone at home…

 **Beca** : Hey babe 🖤

Chloe’s heart raced at the sight of the text that appeared on the screen of her phone. It didn’t matter how old they got or how long they’d known each other for, Chloe always found that her heart skipped a beat whenever she received a text from Beca.

 **Chloe** : Hey!! 🙃💛

 **Beca** : Free for a quick call? X

Chloe didn’t need to read the suggestion twice and immediately began wading her way out of the busy room to find a quiet spot. And unfortunately, the only quiet spot she found was outside in the snow. But she didn’t care. She had to hear her girlfriend’s voice during such a rare snippet of time that Beca was available to talk.

“Hey babe.” Chloe gushed, a beaming smile on her face while her heart raced with excitement, and her whole body warmed the instant she heard Beca’s voice.

“Ugh I’ve been dying to hear your voice!” Beca blurted in an exhausted tone and Chloe’s smile wavered for a moment.

“Everything okay?” she asked, beginning to worry. Was Beca in some sort of trouble? Did she need Chloe to go to her? To comfort her or defend her or something? Because Chloe was more than prepared to do so.

“Yeah. No. I just…” Beca paused to let out a heavy sigh, “…I _really_ miss you. Being out here is really hard and… _lonely_.”

“Oh babe.” Chloe mumbled sadly. She had her arm across her waist and hung her head, hugging herself tightly as though she were attempting to project it through the phone and around Beca’s body. She drew patterns in the snow with the toes of her boot, but wasn’t focussing on what she drew. Instead she continued to listen.

“I did an interview today for some magazine,” Beca eventually said, “ _Shades Magazine_ or something. And they asked me how I coped with being out on the road and away from home for so long.”

Chloe knew the answer. It was simple: Beca _didn’t_ cope with being out on the road. She hated always eating out but she usually had to eat on the move on the tour bus. She preferred a certain laundry detergent smell but rarely had her laundry washed - instead she was given clothes to wear by the label and just handed them back after she’d worn them. And Chloe _knew_ her girlfriend hated pooping in a communal bathroom, but being on the road meant she was left with little choice but to do so..

“I couldn’t tell them the real answer.” Beca continued and Chloe internally agreed - no way Beca would maintain her badass recording artist image if she started complaining about the echoey tour bus bathroom, or greasy take out food.. “Because it wasn’t until this afternoon I thought about it properly and realised my home wasn’t a place, but a _person_. _You_ , Chlo. _You’re_ my home.”

Chloe gripped her bottom lip between her teeth while she smiled gently. She’d waited so many years to hear Beca say that. Hadn’t ever expected to get to a stage in their lives when Beca actually _would_. Not until they’d started dating anyway. And hearing those words were every bit as wonderful as she’d dreamt they would.

“And then I realised that the way I cope with being out on the road for so long and away from home - from you - is I just…find you in everything around me.” Beca continues, clearly warmed already by this thought, and Chloe felt warmed too, despite becoming rapidly chilly in the snow. Thank goodness for this thick Christmas sweater.

“I feel your warmth in the sun. Your breath in the breeze. If an outfit I’ve been made to wear feels too tight, I just imagine it’s you hugging me.”

Chloe chuckled. Beca always joked she hugged her a little too tight, but she couldn’t help it. She loved the woman _so_ much!

“When I can’t sleep I think back on all those nights we shared a bed in Brooklyn, before we started dating. The memory of your body tucked behind mine while your arm around my waist got heavier as you fell asleep.” Beca’s voice sounded whistful and Chloe wished she could see the woman’s face that she knew currently matched her tone. “I got someone from the label to buy me your perfume. I put a little bit of it on my left wrist every day so when I’m anxious or alone I sniff my wrist and I feel calm again.”

Chloe remembered prior to them dating how often Beca would mention how nice her perfume smelt. The redhead had worn it around Beca on purpose. Had wanted to ingrain a scent that would have her best friend reminded of her whenever she smelt it. Now her best friend had also turned into her girlfriend. And that smell was now integral to her girlfriend’s mental well-being it seemed.

“I guess I just wanted you to know all of that.” Beca finished in a gentle tone, “I just wanted you to know how important you are to me.”

“You’re important to me too.” Chloe replied, tears springing into her eyes. The longer Beca was away the more affectionate she got. And even though it was heartbreaking having to be apart for so long, Chloe low-key enjoyed Beca’s pining for her. Her additional affection.

She could hear voices entering Beca’s hotel room and Chloe knew that meant her girlfriend’s entourage had arrived to get her ready for whatever the next leg of her promo tour had in store for her. Beca sighed heavily.

“I gotta go.” Beca said in a disappointed voice and Chloe felt equally disappointed. This was always the hard part. Saying goodbye when they didn’t know when they’d next get to speak to one another.

“I’ll text you.” Chloe replied, “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

—

Chloe let out a roaring cough, and her chest tightened as she sat up suddenly to help bring whatever yuck was hanging around at the top of her lungs. ‘Walking Pneumonia’. She’d managed to get fucking _Pneumonia_ the day before Christmas! Her mother had dragged her to see the doctor and in no time Chloe had been prescribed some antibiotics along with strict instructions to rest rest rest.

The redhead let out a loud groan as she fell backwards onto her pillow. She didn’t even have the energy to reach for her phone and text Beca. _That_ was how ill she felt.

“You sound like shit.”

Chloe let out a sharp gasp, causing her to cough and splutter suddenly. She noticed a familiar figure dashing over to her with a light chuckle.

“Easy tiger. _Easy_.”

Beca. Beca was _here_! And speaking to her so affectionately. Chloe sat back once again, and if she hadn’t felt so dry would’ve burst into tears right there and then. Because there her girlfriend sat, having just perched on the edge of her bed, her hand resting in Chloe’s lap while her other hand held a bouquet of flowers.

“Wha-?” Chloe began, but Beca looked back at her with a kind smile.

“Your Mom called me - said you were going to see the doctor. She later told me you’d got pneumonia.” There was a brief pause while Beca shook her head gently, “Pneumonia babe. _Seriously_?”

Chloe opened her mouth to try to apologise. To admit that she absolutely shouldn’t have gone out in the snow the other week without a coat on so she could talk to Beca sooner. But fortunately an amused smile spread on the brunette’s face:

“You really did go to desperate measures to have me home for Christmas, huh.”

And Chloe’s face opened into a hopeful smile, “You’re…home for Christmas??” she asked and Beca nodded.

“The second I mentioned my girlfriend had got pneumonia my management team sent me home immediately to see you.” Beca shrugged then let out a loud chuckle as Chloe used all the energy she could muster to throw herself into the woman’s arms, “I’ll make it out to them that you’re a little worse than you actually are so we can spend a couple of days curled up in here together.”

Chloe had no words. Instead she just burst into tears.


	8. Driving Home For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the Two years On AU

“God, just…” Chloe paused as her wife called out from the front door a cheery ‘I’m hoo-oome!’, and she grimaced, “…tell her now and get it over with.”

“Now??”

“It’ll ruin her Christmas if you wait any longer.”

Abbie Beale’s deep blue eyes widened in terror at the thought. Tell her Ma? Like…in person? She kinda hoped her Mom would sweeten her up first. To her disappointment her Grandma and Grandad - who so often sided with her - nodded in agreement.

“Your mother’s right, sweetheart.” Sue Beale said in a gentle tone.

“Best not to keep secrets, no matter how scary telling the truth might be.” Jerry Beale added, equally gentle.

The seventeen year old fiddled anxiously with the sleeve of her Christmas sweater and turned to look at the doorway just as her Mama strided into the kitchen while humming ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ - it being Christmas Eve after all.

Beca stopped in her tracks and looked at the occupants of the room. From her wife of nineteen years, to her mother-in-law and father-in-law. Then to her three brothers-in-law and their respective wives. Then finally her eyes landed on her eldest daughter. It wasn’t unusual to have a full house during the holiday season. But it _was_ unusual to find so many Beale’s before her looking awkward and serious. Shit. What had happened??

“Jeez who stole the Christmas spirit?” Beca joked, placing her wireless Beats carefully into their carry case and setting them down on the side. But nobody cracked a smile, which made the brunette feel uneasy.

“Sweetheart, Abbie has something to tell you.” Chloe said tentatively, her heart racing a little faster than usual. Her wife was gonna go mental.

“A good something?” Beca asked seriously, hopeful that it was but having a sinking feeling it wasn’t.

“Ma-“ Abbie croaked, and paused to clear her throat, taking a deep breath to continue, “Remember that girl I hung out with earlier in the year?”

“Bad-Girl Amber? Yeah.” Beca didn’t like where this was going.

“Well…” Abbie hesitated, glancing around at the other members of her family who gave her assuring looks. But she didn’t feel assured. She felt nervous. Her Ma was gonna flip her shit.. The young brunette turned back to Beca, sucking in a deep breath to try to gain some confidence.

“Things have got serious.”

“Serious.” Beca echoed, her hands clenching into fists, “What does that mean, ‘serious’?”

“Like…we’re dating?” Abbie finally finished in an unconfident tone.

“No way.” the mother immediately burst, shaking her head defiantly, “ _No_. There’s no _way_ you’re dating that woman, Abigail.”

“But Ma-”

“-No ‘buts’-” Beca counteracted, but was quickly stopped by her wife who took a step towards the woman with a hand held out.

“-Sweetheart, take a breath.” Chloe tried, having had to mediate an argument between her wife and their eldest child on more than one occasion in the past. The curse of Beca and Abbie having such similar personalities. The curse of Beca being so protective of her children - particularly as the teens had risen to fame in their own rights.

“ _Take a breath_??” Beca looked to her wife, stunned that Chloe already seemed to be supporting this terrible decision made by their daughter, “Chloe the woman’s a frikkin _drug addict!_ She’s been in _prison_!”

Chloe let out a short sharp sigh. The facts were there. Her wife spoke the truth. But at the end of the day, telling Abbie that she couldn’t spend time with her ‘girlfriend’ would only push the teen away. And if there was one thing Chloe was certain about, it was that the only way they could protect their beloved daughter was by _supporting_ her, not angering her.

“She completed her stint at rehab with flying colours!” Abbie tried to justify, “And she was only in prison for ten weeks!”

“She six years _older_ than you!” Beca barked back, blood rushing in her ears. She was panicking. If she could she’d reach out and grab Abbie by the arms, hold her tight, and never let go. She was her _baby_ , her _first born_. “Abigail, her reputation stinks! If you continue to date her, the press will find out and it could potentially jeopardise mine and your mother’s careers!”

The kitchen fell silent and Beca breathed heavily, trying to catch more oxygen after her outburst. Abbie, with tears in her eyes, briefly tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. And Chloe looked to her parents in despair. Fortunately after knowing Beca for over twenty years the family knew what the woman was like when it came to dealing with shocks like this. They also knew that with time and reason, Beca could be calmed.

“But…I _love_ her.” Abbie eventually said in a quiet voice.

It felt like a thump in the stomach to hear her daughter say that, and Beca felt sick. _Love_. She knew what being in love as a teenage _really_ meant. It was an infatuation. A rush of emotion and feelings that only came hand-in-hand with the surge of hormones that every teenager had. But before Beca could attempt to explain that to the young brunette, she felt her wife smooth the palm of her hand across the small of her back.

“I seem to recall your Dad never liking me?” Chloe offered in a gentle tone, trying to keep the atmosphere as calm as possible.

“That’s different.” Beca replied, her eyebrows raised at her wife, “You were and always have been amazing, and bright, and bubbly, and supportive, and beautiful and-”

“-And has it occurred to you that Abbie might think that about Amber?” Chloe suggested. Beca paused, her mouth snapping closed, and Chloe knew this meant she was getting through to her, “She may have an undesirable reputation. And yes, if and when the press find out we’ll have to be savvy with our PR content. But we’ve been through crap before and have come out the other side just fine.” Beca hated to admit it, but her wife was right. Chloe - for the most part - was always right. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” Chloe added in a soft tone.

Beca had no idea how Chloe always managed it, but the woman had this way of speaking to her that had any bubbling fear or anxiety just settle within her. It was what made Beca feel so lucky to have Chloe as her wife. Continuing to help her navigate her way through her career, their marriage, and motherhood.

“You don’t do any drugs.” Beca conceded, having turned to her daughter, pointing with her index finger while she spoke sternly, “And you make sure we know where you are at all times.”

She tried not to smile when Abbie suddenly beamed at her, flinging herself forward, her arms wrapping around the mother’s neck to hug her tight.

“I promise!” the teen gushed, pulling away while babbling, “I’m gonna call her right now and invite her for dinner tomorrow!”

Beca furrowed her brow as she watched Abbie skipping out of the door, “Hold on, tomorrow’s _Christmas Day_.” but the seventeen year old was long-gone, having raced upstairs to her bedroom that she was currently sharing during the holidays with her older cousin, Eleanor, and eight year old sister, Nori.

“Amber’s family kicked her out when she went to rehab so…she’s got nowhere else to go.” Chloe explained tentatively.

Beca rolled her eyes with a sigh glancing at everyone in the room then landing her eyes on her wife, “Let me guess…it was your idea.”

Chloe gripped her bottom lip between her teeth, giving a little shrug. Because yes, there was no way she was going to let Abbie miss Christmas Day with the family just because her wife wouldn’t let the girl see her girlfriend. So inviting Amber was the best resolution to the complicated situation. And it would certainly make the festivities extra jolly. For Chloe’s brothers at least, who were keen to tease Beca all day tomorrow…


	9. All I Want For Christmas Is You

Stacie wasn’t a snooper. Categorically not. In fact she prided herself in that fact. So imagine her surprise when she stumbled upon something that wouldn’t have been intended for her eyes, and yet her eyes had seen it nonetheless.

She’d innocently dashed up to the attic bedroom at the top of The Bellas House, in search of a memory stick to put her latest paper on - her own stick having malfunctioned. The one person she knew had a plethora of memory sticks was Beca, the woman having made heaps of mixes during the three years she’d been a Bella.

But as Stacie had begun rummaging in the top draw of Beca’s desk, her fingers had found a stick that just didn’t go with any of the others. Bright yellow and - when thinking carefully about it - stuffed right at the back of the draw.

With only an hour left until her paper hand-in deadline, Stacie didn’t dwell on how unusual it all seemed. So she slammed the draw shut - stick in hand - and raced back down to her bedroom with every intention of telling Beca what she’d done (Fat Amy, who had been sat on her own bed in the attic bedroom, had said that their captain wouldn’t mind).

The memory stick was inserted into Stacie’s laptop, and the tall brunette watched her screen, waiting for the window to pop up. When it did, her eyes honed in on the only folder that was currently on that stick: ‘ _AIWFCIY_ ’.

Stacie _wasn’t_ a snooper. But she did take caution when it came to technology. And, not wanting the stick to malfunction too and Beca then losing this file, Stacie thought she’d double check what it was before proceeding. After all, if it didn’t seem important then no bother, right?

Her brow furrowed as she peered at the screen, double clicking the folder and seeing only one mp3 file within it. And to her surprise it was titled ‘ _Chloe_Mix_Final_ ’. Naturally Stacie’s first thought was that the mp3 in question was a mix that Beca intended on showing her co-captain as part of the lead-up to their next ICCA performance. But Stacie - _not_ being a snooper yet being a curious soul - decided to play it. So play it she did.

The familiar opening to Mariah Carey’s ‘ _All I Want For Christmas_ _Is You_ ’ played out at the beginning and a smile spread across Stacie’s face. She knew Beca wasn’t overly keen on Christmas, but that this song was a favourite of all the other Bellas (particularly Chloe). An upbeat backing track merged in, the lyrics beginning to sound. Then Stacie thought she could hear a sample of ‘ _Kiss Me_ ’ by Sixpence None The Richer, and her brow furrowed. As the lyrics, ‘ _So kiss me_ ’ looped, mixed well within the track, other lyrics from songs Stacie didn’t recognise became integrated within the mix Beca had made. Lyrics such as ‘You’re always on my mind’ and ‘I wonder about us sometimes and what we could be’.

And suddenly it occurred to Stacie that…perhaps this mix _wasn’t_ a prospective Bellas performance song. That this mix was actually a _love song_. A subtle message to Chloe from Beca, declaring her feelings in the best way Beca knew how: through music.

As the mix came to a close Stacie let out a satisfied sigh, sitting back in her chair with a massive grin on her face. The question was, had Beca played Chloe the song yet? The brunette sat forward, pulling up a few social media websites to find Beca and see if she’d posted anything recent about where she might be and whether or not she was currently with Chloe.

Sure enough, Beca’s most recent post on Instagram was only an hour old. A photo of two pumpkin spice latte’s in takeout cups - one with ‘ _Beca_ ’ scribbled on the side, and the other had ‘ _Chloe_ ’ scribbled on the side. The photo had the description ‘ _With my main aca-bitch @chloe_knows_whats_up brainstorming our next victory #ICCAswearecomingforyou #thirdyearrunning #threeisthemagicnumber #unstoppable #cocaptains’_

A date! They were so obviously on a date. Stacie squeed a bit inside, absolutely thrilled. She’d cracked it. Had solved the mystery. Beca and Chloe were _secretly dating_!

Her head snapped up as she heard the front door of the house open, and two pairs of feet carrying two Bellas inside. _The_ two Bellas - Stacie felt sure. After all, the rest of the group were all accounted for. So she stood up from her computer, pulling the memory stick from the device and headed for the door of her bedroom.

Beca and Chloe both arrived at the top of the stairs and stopped the moment they saw Stacie grinning at them.

“Uh, hey Stacie.” Beca greeted cautiously, clearly confused about the way the woman currently held herself, as though victorious about something.

“Everything ok?” Chloe asked with curiosity.

“I know.” Stacie mumbled in a quiet tone, wanting to prove to her captains that she could be trusted with their secret. She stood casually against her doorframe, her arms crossed while facing them.

“You know?” Beca asked, her confusion continuing, “What do you know?”

“You knowww..” Stacie replied, her smile spreading, motioning towards the two Bellas before her, “About you two.”

Beca and Chloe looked at one another, their brows furrowed, before turning back to Stacie.

“Us two what?” Chloe asked, this time sounding as confused as Beca. But Stacie rolled her eyes. The game was up. She _knew_ about them _._ Why were they still pretending to be oblivious?

“ _That you two are dating_.” Stacie hissed with glee, giving them both thumbs up. To her frustration, both Beca and Chloe became flustered, glancing awkwardly at one another then back at Stacie.

“Wha-?”

“We’re…we’re _not_ dating.”

“Beca, it’s okay.” Stacie insisted, her smile softer, “I know about the mix.” She saw Beca’s cheeks flush, her jaw clenching.

“What mix?” Beca asked between clenched teeth.

“Oh come ooooon,” Stacie gave a flap of her hand, “the mix you made for Chloe!” and when Beca’s face did nothing more than glare threateningly at her, Stacie misread it as her continuing to embarrass the two captains. So Stacie thought it best she clear things up, especially as Chloe still seemed confused. “The one that mixed ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ with a bunch of other love lyrics that you played for Chloe to tell her you’re in love with her!”

Suddenly Stacie had a sinking feeling that she’d got it all wrong. That as a matter of fact, while the mix had been meant for that exact purpose…perhaps Beca _hadn’t_ played it to Chloe yet after all. It would definitely explain why the redhead’s mouth had dropped open in shock.

“Ah.” was all she added, then quickly held the memory stick out at her petite captain, “I borrowed it to put my paper on. Amy said it was okay.”

“Of course she did.” Beca growled, snatching the bright yellow memory stick from Stacie’s fingers, glaring at her.

“Is it on there?” Chloe asked, pointing to the memory stick, watching as Beca hastily stuffed it in her pocket.

“It’s nothing.” Beca muttered, and turned on the spot to head up the hallway towards the stairs that would lead to her attic bedroom.

“Beca, show me!” Chloe called out, heading down the hallway after her cocaptain. And Stacie watched as her two friends disappeared upstairs.

Oops?


	10. Secret Santa

“What do you think’s happened?” Chloe asked in an anxious voice, tumbling out of the passenger side of the car.

“How am _I_ supposed to know?” Beca snapped, flinging herself out of the drivers seat and slamming the door of the car behind her, “You got the call not me!”

“Hey don’t have a go at me! It’s not _my_ fault she put my number down as an emergency contact!” Chloe replied, throwing her handbag over her shoulder as they both strode away from the car and towards the main reception of the hospital.

“Sorry.” Beca muttered, “‘m just worried.”

She felt Chloe take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, “Me too, babe. Me too.”

The two women dashed into the building, looking up at the overhead signs, trying to find the emergency department. But they had no idea where to start.

“Excuse me!” Beca bellowed, pulling a passing doctor to a stop, “Which way to the emergency department?” and the man looked at her with a mix of confusion and amusement. A look that didn’t go down well with the prickly brunette, who poked her index finger into his chest, “Listen buddy, this is an emergency and we need to get to the emergency department immediately, alright? So don’t go giving me that look-”

But the man was quick to interrupt her before she did any damage, “You’re in it.” He replied and Beca brought her hand back sheepishly.

“Ah.”

—

After finally finding out the exact place they needed to go, Beca and Chloe walked quickly down the hospital corridor, looking for the room they needed. Chloe rummaged in her handbag.

“I brought her some polos. She’s always loved polos.” The redhead said, pulling a tube of candy out and waving it nonchalantly as Beca moved quickly beside her.

“You think she’s gonna need cheering up that badly?” Beca asked, shifting out of the way of a couple of nurses stood chatting in the corridor.

“She’s in _hospital_ , Beca.” was the only response Chloe was able to give before they suddenly stopped outside the room they needed.

Stepping inside cautiously, Beca and Chloe peered into the room and breathed a sigh of relief. The young woman before them didn’t seem quite as bashed up as they’d feared.

“Emily are you okay??” Chloe asked, moving swiftly over to the girl’s side and taking a seat, dropping her handbag to the floor.

“Yeah Legacy, what the hell happened??” Beca burst, her eyes immediately drawn to the huge plaster cast around the college student’s leg.

“I’m alright I guess.” came the sheepish reply, and both Beca and Chloe looked at one another. Emily - current captain of The Barden Bellas - had had Beca and Chloe down as her emergency contacts back when the two women had been seniors in college. But neither of them had expected to still be her emergency contacts, two years on from their graduation.

“It’s all totally embarrassing.” The youngster continued, “I couldn’t have them call my mom. I had to get them to call you guys instead.”

“Dude, why couldn’t you tell your Mom??” Beca asked, coming to a standstill by Chloe’s side, peering in concern at Emily. She was pretty baffled - if any mom would be cool with an embarrassing accident that resulted in a trip to the ER it’d be Katherine Junk.

“Because it’s…” and Emily paused as her cheeks flushed pink and her face screwed up as though the following sentence would be painful to say, “…a _sex_ injury.”

Chloe’s eyebrows rose, her mouth making an ‘O’ shape as she sat back in shock. Beca was a little more obvious with her movements and took an actual step backwards, looking completely horrified that little Emily Junk even knew what sex was let alone was _having it_ with someone.

“It’s not what you think.” Emily was quick to add, but Beca was even more horrified by the twenty year old saying _that._

“What do you _think_ we’re thinking??” Beca asked, stuck to one spot on the floor, not even daring to look down at the plaster cast any more. Hesitation followed as the patient looked at her two visitors anxiously with wide eyes. Chloe reached a hand out and placed it gently on Emily’s shoulder, wanting to assure the young woman that she could share whatever needed to be shared. That this was a safe place with no judgement (though Beca was making that latter assurance tough to prove).

“I was in the bathroom at the Bellas House and-“

“-God I dunno if I’m ready to hear about shower sex..” Beca grimaced, but Chloe let out a small tut, looking up at Beca with a momentarily warning glare, and t he older brunette’s mouth snapped shut.

“Go on, Emily.” Chloe encouraged in a soft tone to the youngster, and Emily let out a shaky sigh to steel herself.

“Well I got a bullet vibrator for my birthday-”

Beca let out an audible grimace but the second Chloe shot her another warning glance, she cleared her throat and stood a little more upright, trying to act casual about it, “And?”

“And…” Emily paused, briefly pulling her bottom lip between her teeth before squeezing her eyes shut, “I hadn’t realised how powerful it’d be when I turned it on so…it surprised me so much I sorta fell outta the shower onto the floor-”

Both Beca and Chloe sucked air in between their teeth knowing that in The Bellas House there was a shower over the bathtub - so in order to fall on the floor Emily would’ve had to have fallen _out_ of the bathtub, over the edge. It was quickly becoming apparant how the girl had managed to break her leg.

“-and I broke my leg.”

“Oh Emily.” Chloe mumbled sympathetically as the brunette threw her face into her hands, “It’s okay. You know, the first time I used a vibrator I used the wrong end-” Beca furrowed her brow, wondering how that had even been possible, but decided to store that information to bring up with Chloe another day. “-it’s confusing sometimes but trust me, it’s worth the confusion.”

Emily smiled gratefully at her ex-co captains. They truly were the most awesome ‘big sisters’ for her. Always on hand for advice and acceptance.

“Is there anything we can do for you?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, other than take you home right now.” Beca added helpfully.

The two women watched patiently as Emily appeared to work through things in her head. Then suddenly, the girl’s eyes lit up.

“Oh! I do have one thing that I need help with.”

“Name it.” Beca said, and Chloe nodded earnestly.

“Remember a couple of years ago and there was a bunch of presents left ‘from Santa’ under The Bellas tree?” Emily asked, and Chloe and Beca’s brows furrowed. Because it had been a complete mystery to The Bellas at that time about who could’ve possibly left them there. “Well that was me. I was the secret Santa.” the other two woman let out small gasps upon realisation, “And I’ve continued to do it but…well I haven’t been able to wrap the presents or leave them under the tree yet so…could you help me?”

Beca and Chloe looked at one another, pausing to raise their eyebrows, communicating silently as usual. Well this wasn’t exactly how they were planning on spending their weekend off together..


	11. Christmas Album

“Special delivery.”

Chloe furrowed her brow as the mailman stood before her, looking bored. In his hand he held out an envelope wallet marked ‘fragile’, and on the address label it read ‘ _Ms Chloe Beale_ ’ with her student accommodation address just below. Funny, she never received mail, not least of all mail delivered directly to her door.

She reached out and delicately took the item, looking down at it as it lay flat within her grasp. She’d only been back at Davis College for a few weeks, so why was she getting mail like this so far from Christmas or her birthday?

“Sign here.” the mailman added, as bored as he looked, holding out a small device with a tool for Chloe to mark her signature on it with. Once she did, the man simply walked away and the redhead was left in shock, stood in the doorway, looking down at the flat parcel.

“What is it?” her roommate asked as Chloe stepped back inside, closing the door behind her before heading towards her bed area.

“I-I have no idea.”

Chloe took a seat and slowly began unpeeling the seal while her roommate glanced over curiously from her own bed, study books in her lap. A broad smile grew on Chloe’s face as she pulled a CD from within the wallet, a sticky-note lying on the front with a small message:

C. Because you LOVE Christmas so much… *insert affectionate eye-roll here*. Hope you love it. B xx

Chloe let out a gasp, moving the sticky-note to one side to inspect the album cover of the CD and sure enough, it was a _Christmas_ album! One recorded by her best friend, rising superstar Beca Mitchell. The redhead immediately flipped it over to inspect the track listing, thrilled to read a handful of her favourite Christmas songs:

_Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Oh Holy Night, Sleigh Ride, The Power Of Love-_

“A CD??” Meredith snorted, “What kind of relic is sending you a CD?!”

But Chloe’s smile softened as she turned the CD around and peered down at the front cover properly. Beca was pictured dressed up in festive attire in front of a fireplace at Christmas. And Chloe knew the woman would’ve merely tolerated the shoot, but she had done it nonetheless. _Why_?

‘ _Because you love Christmas so much._ ’ the note had said, in Beca’s handwriting. Beca had made this album for her? Or at least…had sent the CD to her early, before it was released?

“My best friend.” Chloe replied in an affectionate tone, peering at the sticky-note once more, her thumb smoothing over the two kisses Beca had scrawled after the letter of her name at the bottom. _Two kisses_. What did that even mean?

“Wait, is that a _Christmas_ CD?” Meredith asked, moving her books to one side so she could scoot to the edge of her bed and get a closer look.

“Yeah she uh…” Chloe paused to clear her throat, trying not to get too overwhelmed with emotion, “…she’s a singer. She recorded a Christmas album and sent it to me.”

“Wow. You guys must be close.” the blonde said, standing up from her bed and heading to her stack of draws to search for some wash things to take down to the dorm showers, “My best friends have never gone as far as recording a whole frikkin _album_ for me.”

Chloe stared at the picture of Beca’s face on the front of the Christmas album, her heart warming when she thought about her roommates words. Meredith was right, they were close. But what the girl didn’t know was that Chloe’s best friend was actually pretty successful in the music industry now. Her recent hit was still playing on the radio and at campus parties. Chloe was just the only person at her college who knew the truth - that Beca Mitchell was actually her very best friend, the girl who texted her every day, and who flew her out to her LA home every holiday that Chloe had from vet school.

“I’m going to have a shower.” Meredith mumbled, her arms full of wash-items and a pair of pyjamas to change into along with a big fluffy pink towel, “You should play your friend’s CD. If you have a CD player of course.” and with a chuckle, the young woman stepped out of the dorm room, closing the door behind her.

Chloe sat in silence, staring down at the CD in her hands. Her breath hung in her lungs. And her eyes kept going over the picture of Beca’s face. God she missed living with her.

Finding a CD player would prove challenging given that no modern technology seemed to come with a CD drive. Particularly not the MacBook that Beca had bought Chloe as a gift to help her with her studies at the beginning of vet school. Fortunately though, the redhead’s dorm wasn’t too far from the college library. So within fifteen minutes Chloe had donned a thick coat, good quality boots, and had grabbed her campus card, her headphones, her dorm key, her phone, and her precious CD.

Letting out a long exhale to try to readjust her body to the change in environmental temperature, Chloe plonked herself down in front of an old PC and switched it on. As the machine whirred and began starting up, Chloe decided to open the plastic album case up and have a flip through the small booklet that came as part of the CD sleeve.

Her smile broadened when, to her delight, each page held the lyrics, one song per page. Ten songs in total, including what Chloe wondered was an original as it wasn’t one she’d heard before. Each page had a different photo of Beca in beautiful Christmas outfits. All until the final page which was titles ‘Thanks’ and had a bunch of paragraphs (presumably written by Beca herself) of what was likely the heap of people she wanted to thank for contributing to the album, and a photo of Beca looking extremely dorky in some sort of beautiful Elf costume. Chloe was impressed. But just as she made to read her best friend’s testimonials, the computer ‘pinged’ notifying her that it was ready.

Chloe opened up the CD drive, watching in amusement as the thin slip of plastic slid out of the system ready to receive the CD. So she placed the golden disc onto it, and close the drive back up. She took her headphones, connecting them to the computer. Then she took a deep inhale of breath and waited.

A version of _Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas_ began playing, and it was produced in such a way that made Chloe feel warm and comforted. Each word that Beca sang felt like a hug, as though Beca’s voice spoke to her very soul. And Chloe couldn’t quite believe how something so simple as a song could make her feel so close to the woman she was so physically far from throughout the year.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she pulled her arms around her waist, a soft smile on her face. She was there. Right with her. Right with Beca. Even if she wasn’t in person. And for the first time in several weeks, Chloe felt _calm_.

By the time _All I Want For Christmas Is You_ had come to a close, Chloe found herself sitting up and opening her eyes, her smile broad while she reached for the CD booklet and found the ‘Thanks’ page.

> _Thanks to my production team and my label for dealing with me so well. Thanks to my family and friends with whom I would not be here without. Thanks to my fans - you guys are awesome! But my greatest thanks goes to C._

> _C, my sunshine, my rock, my everything. This album is for you - the true lover of Christmas. You make the world feel like a worthwhile place to be living on. I miss you desperately when we’re apart. But when we’re together everything feels right._

> _C, I wrote track 10 for you. Recorded it for you. Produced it for you. Listen to it, think about it, then call me. Merry Christmas. B x_

Chloe’s eyebrows rose, her heart racing. Beca wrote a _song_ for her?? Like an actual full-blown Christmas song?

She snapped her eyes up to the computer and immediately clicked ‘track 10’. She sucked in a deep breath and allowed her eyes to unfocus as the intro to the song began.

Then lyrics. The most _beautiful_ lyrics. About snowy winter walks and stolen kisses. Each breath from a chuckle or whispered ‘I love you’ visible in the cold air between two lovers. Freezing hands warmed by cups of hot cocoa. The heat finally felt together beneath thick blankets. The cheer felt at Christmas not coming just once a year but felt all year round thanks to such a fulfilling love. Every ‘I miss you’ translating to ‘I love you’.

A tear slipped from Chloe’s eye, slowly running down her cheek as the beautiful original Christmas song came to a close. And in an instant Chloe felt closer to Beca than she’d ever felt before. This was _her_ song. The song Beca had written _for_ her. Chloe felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.

As instructed in the CD’s booklet, Chloe pulled her phone from her pocket and called Beca.

“Hey.” the answer was quiet and timid - unlike any tone that Chloe had ever heard Beca use before.

“Hey.” She replied softly, and when Beca didn’t respond Chloe decided to continue, “So I just listened to your Christmas album.”

“And?” Beca asked anxiously. A smile swept across Chloe’s face when she thought back on those beautiful lyrics.

“And that final track was the most beautiful song I’d ever heard.”

“Well I had beautiful inspiration.”

She could tell by Beca’s tone that the woman was smiling, and it made Chloe’s heart warm. She missed her so much.

“When’s it released?” Chloe asked, curious to know if this really was an early Christmas gift.

“Never.” Beca replied, and Chloe found herself hesitating.

“Huh?”

“I made it exclusively for you.” Chloe looked down at the CD stuttering incoherently, causing Beca to chuckle, then add, “What you think I don’t know how badly you’ve wanted me to do a Christmas album?” It was true, Chloe _had_ been suggesting it since last September. “The label didn’t think I was well known enough yet to release one, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have the ability to go ahead and make one any way. Though that was the catch - making one meant _literally_ recording and producing and making _one_ single album with _one_ single copy. _Your_ copy, Chlo.”

“I-I…don’t know what to say.” Chloe replied with a chuckle, swiping at a tear that had streaked down her cheek, and she heard Beca let out a similar chuckle.

“Say you’ll go for dinner with me this Christmas?”

“We always go for dinner around Christmas.” Chloe replied casually, not realising quite what Beca meant.

“I mean like…on a date?”

And Chloe’s mouth dropped open, before stretching into a wide smile. Her fingers tightened around her phone and she squeezed her eyes shut to try to contain her excitement.

“Yeah, okay!”


	12. Older

Forks and knives scrape on plates while The Mitchell’s make polite small talk over dinner. Beca is home for the holidays, having managed to snag a few days off from BFD Records (which her older brothers nickname ‘Beca Freaks Daily’ as a jab at her occasional anxiety attacks, which annoys the hell out of her). Being here makes her uncomfortable now. Not because of the teasing - she’s had to deal with it her whole life - but because it doesn’t _feel like home_ anymore. Brooklyn feels like home. Home with Chloe and Fat Amy (though Fat Amy isn’t home all that much when Beca and Chloe are home in the evenings).

“So, Beca…” Dr Mitchell begins, “…any more luck with finding a bigger apartment?”

Beca grips her fork a little tighter then shrugs. Looking down at the gravy she makes patterns with using her cutlery.

“Not really.” she replies, “Its not easy to find somewhere affordable that’ll serve three people you know?”

She misses the way her brothers grin at each other. Misses the way her father glances awkwardly at his wife while Sheila grimaces a little.

“It’s just…” the eldest man at the table paused, trying to find the right words for his prickly daughter, “you’re in your twenties now, Bec. A full time job in The Big Apple. Making a name for yourself like you always said you would.”

Beca looks up from her plate and is surprised to see her family looking back at her: her brothers all grinning, Shelia looking judgey as always, and her father looking somewhat _confused_.

“Sooooo…” Beca begins for the man sat opposite her at the far end of the table.

“So, you really _shouldn’t_ be sharing a bed with Chloe.” he finishes, placing his cutlery down when Beca drops her own with a loud clatter, “I’m just _saying_ it’s odd. Two grown women sharing a bed-”

“-Yeah because it’s the only way we can afford to both live there.” Beca counteracts, her voice raised. She hates having this conversation with him. Time and time again.

“You definitely make enough money to rent somewhere nicer on your own,” Dr Mitchell continues, his own voice raised, “I’ve seen your finances.”

“Yeah but I couldn’t desert Chloe like that.” Beca attempts but it’s met with an eye roll.

“Come on, Bec, we all know Chloe is never going to make it in New York. She’ll never be able to afford it.”

“Well she doesn’t _have_ to.” Beca replies between gritted teeth, sporting a frown.

“Because you’ll support her.” One of her brothers finishes, and Beca motions to him while glaring at her father.

“Exactly, yeah!”

It doesn’t seem like the craziest idea and technically she’s never thought about what she and Chloe would do as they get older. Naively she assumes they’ll always live together, maybe even sharing a bed. She _likes_ sharing a bed and her life with Chloe.

“Then what? What’ll happen when you get older?” Dr Mitchell asks, taking a sip of his wine, “What’ll happen when Chloe gets married and has children? What then? What you’ll still pay for the roof over her head?”

“Well yeah because she’ll be married to _me_.” Beca finally announces, quirking an eyebrow. She enjoys the way her father practically chokes on his next sip of wine, the way Sheila throws her face into her hands, and the way her brothers all grin back at her.

“I _knew_ it!” one brother says.

“Well played Bec.”

“Yeah we’ve all said how hot she is-”

“ _Enough_!” Dr Mitchell snaps and everyone at the table falls silent, looking over at him.

“Something wrong Dad?” Beca asks with a bit of a smirk and she notes the way he’s begun tapping anxiously on the table with his fingertips. He clears his throat then takes a deep intake of breath through his nose.

“No…this is just a surprise that’s all.”

“Well I wouldn’t worry, Dad.” she replies with an awkward chuckle, looking back down at her plate as she gathers a couple of thinly sliced carrots on the end of her fork, “Chloe and I aren’t a thing.” and saying it out loud makes her chest tighten. _They’re not a thing_. She’d invited Chloe here for Christmas and Chloe had chosen to visit her Great Aunt in Florida instead. Chloe hadn’t even invited Beca to join her. Beca’s heartbroken. And spending a few days in Georgia with her father, brothers, and step-mother isn’t helping her feel better. “We’re just close friends.” she finishes somewhat bitterly.

She doesn’t see the way her brothers look at her sympathetically. Doesn’t see the way her father’s shoulders sink slightly, hating how disappointed his only daughter looks. Doesn’t see her step-mother surprised by her own affection towards her prickly step-daughter.

“You know…” Sheila begins, having glanced at her husband then at the three young men, before looking over at the quiet woman to her left, “…if you and Chloe ever were to become, you know, _more_ than close friends…”

Beca looks up, swallowing nervously and is surprised to see her family looking back at her kindly. She sees Sheila rattling through ways that she wants to finish her sentence in her head. But Dr Mitchell gets there first.

“We’d be okay with that, Bec.” and a tiny hopeful smile poked into the corners of Beca’s mouth as her father shrugged, “After all, she’s part of your life and essentially an extension of _your_ family. Your family is our family, right?”

Beca swipes her tongue across her bottom lip, impressed with her family’s change of tone. They weren’t bothered that she had a crush on Chloe? They would be okay if one day they started dating? She sees her brothers nod and smile kindly at her and her eyebrows raise.

“Cool.” is all she replies in a soft tone, and pulls the carrots into her mouth. The family begin eating once more, silence save for the cutlery clanging and scraping. But the knot in Beca’s stomach seems to have loosened a little. Because perhaps all isn’t lost. Perhaps she’ll have a chat to Chloe once they both return to Brooklyn in a couple of days and see where the redhead’s mind is at in terms of their friendship..


	13. Drunk

Beca swore slightly under her breath, pausing for a moment while screwing her face up and squeezing her eyes shut. Fuck that hurt. Why was it that of all the most painful bits of body to hurt when coming into contact with skirting, it was always her toes? Particularly, in this moment, her pinky toe.

She wondered for a moment if she’d broken it. But she wasn’t given much time, because a loud rumbling giggle sounded from the heavy body beside her. A heavy, drunk, bumbly Chloe.

The redhead had her arm draped around Beca’s shoulders, having miraculously made it up the stairs of The Bellas house. ‘The Treblemakers Christmas Bonanza’ was still in full swing next door. But Beca had decided to be the sensible one and guide her heavily inebriated co-captain back home. Getting Chloe home in this state was the bigger challenge. Easier to tackle her first then return to the party to guide other drunk Bellas home before they got in too deep.

“Hey. Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey-” Chloe rambled with a slur, her breath hot as she lent towards Beca’s ear to speak directly into it.

“What?” Beca asked with a whisper, tutting as she directed Chloe’s jaw away from her and towards the door of her bedroom.

“I gotta…” Chloe paused, furrowing her brow for a moment and Beca sighed. She loved the super senior to bits but she had little patience when she was the sober one of the group.

“What? You gotta go pee? You gotta throw up?”

Chloe let out another loud rumbling giggle, throwing her head back and shifting both herself and Beca off balance. The brunette let out a little yelp, then steadied their centre of gravity.

“I gotta tell you a _secret_!” Chloe hissed the final word, and Beca rolled her eyes while successfully managing to guide her friend forward some more. Chloe bumped heavily into the bedroom doorframe and Beca winced, but as with most alcohol-induced states, Chloe didn’t appear to feel any pain.

“Oh yeah?” Beca asked, not in the least bit interested in what Chloe might have to say given she was so drunk. If she was lucky, she might manage to get her to lay down on the bed and pass out right away..

“Yeah.”

Beca slipped Chloe’s arm from around her shoulder and took hold of her hips to guide her through the low light towards the bed.

“But you - wah!” Chloe landed on her bed with a thud and proceeded to laugh loudly, bringing her hands to her face. Beca sighed, but a small amused smile swept onto her face. Chloe was a drunken mess. But a beautiful drunken mess.

“You gotta promise me you won’t tell anyone.” Chloe sat up, pointing an index finger at Beca while looking at her suddenly seriously.

Beca raised her hands, “I promise.” this’d better be good..

“I’m in love with Beca.”

Beca hesitated as she let the words sink in. Did…did Chloe just say what she _thought_ she just said? And the way she’d just worded the secret… did Chloe not realise _she was Beca_??

“And I know I know,” Chloe continued to slur, pulling her arms out of her sweater then tugging the garment over her head with a groan, “it’ll never _happen_ because she’s still with _Jesse_.” Chloe seemed to grimace at the mention of his name and even managed to look disgusted. Like she’d just tasted something particularly foul.

Beca just watched, gobsmacked as Chloe threw her sweater onto the floor with another groan. Yeah she definitely _hadn’t_ realised she was saying this to Beca.

“But a girl can still hope, right?” Chloe continued, now pulling her arms from within her vest top beneath and tugging _that_ garment over her head, down onto the floor, “Obviously she’s straight. She has a boyfriend.” Chloe paused to attempt to focus on unhooking her bra, speaking slowly as time went on, “But…this year, she…me and her…she gives me this… _look_ …”

(“I do??” Beca thinks.)

Chloe finally released her bra with a victorious sigh, bringing her arms flopping down to rest for a moment, “I-I dunno how to explain it…” she pulled her bra from her shoulders and threw it down at Beca’s feet, “it’s like…I _matter_ , you know?” Chloe’s fingers found the button of her pants and she fiddled with it until they came loose around the waistband, “Like I’m the _only_ _one_ who matters and…” she swung her legs further onto her bed and lifted her hips, struggling to pull her pants down.

She heaved and winced and all Beca could do was watch in stunned silence, trying to think back on all the times she must’ve looked at Chloe a ‘certain way’. Sure Chloe was quirky, and funny, and passionate, and beautiful…but Beca didn’t think that because she thought of Chloe as all those things that she gave her a _special_ _look_.

Chloe finally succeeded in pulling her pants down to her ankles but gave up, letting out a huge sigh of defeat and slumping flat on her back, ridiculously out of breath, mostly naked and very drunk. She motioned feebly to her feet, “You’re gonna have to help me.”

Beca stepped towards Chloe’s ankles and eased the material from the woman’s body, dropping it down with the rest of the clothes. Chloe’s hands were already at the waistband of her panties by the time Beca had looked up and the brunette sucked a deep breath in between her teeth.

“So Beca just… _sees_ me differently and…” Chloe doesn’t take quite as long to slip her panties off and for a fleeting moment Beca fears she’ll have to help again, “…I just can’t give up on her…while she looks at me like that…” Chloe successfully removes her panties and throws them to the floor, “…you know?”

She finally collapses back with a huge heavy exhale of relief. Beca doesn’t know what to say. Not even when Chloe turns to her suddenly:

“What do you think? You think I should tell her? Or should I just give up?”

Beca’s unsure who the hell Chloe thinks she is. But somewhere along the blurred lines this is some kind of sketchy. Giving drunk Chloe advice about herself? When Beca is technically still in a relationship with Jesse?

“I say hold on, Chlo.” was all she managed to choke out. Her head was screaming at her, wondering what the hell was going on. But there was something in her heart that fuelled her words, “You never know what might happen in the future.”

Chloe seemed calmed by this advice, and let out a content sigh, smiling sloppily up at Beca through the darkness. The brunette gave her co-captain a pursed-lipped grin, then reached down, took a handful of blankets, and threw them over her friend’s naked body.

“Get some sleep.”

And as she crept out of the room, Beca heard Chloe mumble after her, “Night Aubrey.”


	14. The Nutcracker

**[Part of the Broken AU](https://asweetmelodytrickling.tumblr.com/post/175227953043/bechloe-broken) **

Chloe swept the damp cloth across the kitchen work surface, a soft calm smile on her face as she placed the material down by the sink and turned to look at the room she’d just cleaned. She did this a lot: clean, tidy. Kept herself busy so her mind didn’t wander. So she felt less afraid.

Afraid that her ex-husband would turn up out of the blue and attempt to force her away again, or attempt to kidnap one or both of their children again. The mere fleeting thought had Chloe’s stomach twisting with dread once more, her head feeling light and her chest feeling tight. She had to sit down.

It’d been three months since she’d left Kyle for good. Three months since Beca had taken her and her two children in. Three months since Beca’s neighbours had challenged Chloe’s husband in Beca’s apartment, which had resulted in the violent man’s unfortunate beating up. Three months since Beca moved them away with her to Santa Barbara, here in this very house. It was warm and roomy and more space than Chloe had ever had in her life - Beca’s millions becoming evident by her investment in real estate.

And yet, despite all the rooms in the large house, Chloe still tended to keep within the confines of three or four rooms: the kitchen, the lounge, her bedroom (with which her two young children still slept in the same bed with her) and one of the bathrooms. Beca, ever wonderful and kind, had never questioned it. Tried to understand why Chloe needed the security of only a few well known rooms. Tried to understand why, when Beca was home, there was rarely a moment when Chloe wasn’t in the same room as her or by her side. It was _protection_. Even though her ex-husband was now in prison, and there was little way of the man ever finding them once released, Chloe still felt the deep gloom of dread that he might turn up unexpectedly.

Chloe fell onto a seat at the kitchen table with a heavy sigh, putting her head in her hands and taking several deep breaths. She was okay. They were okay. They were aaaaall okay. Chloe was in here, in the kitchen, and all doors and windows in the house were locked save for the back door by the kitchen and the kitchen windows that were wide open. The back door that led out to the huge back yard where Beca was currently throwing a ball with Oliver, Chloe’s six year old son. Rosie, Chloe’s three year old daughter, was safe too. She was having a nap on the bed upstairs. Beca even had a small surveillance camera installed so Chloe could keep and eye on the bed via her phone.

Chloe’s stomach plummeted when she looked at her phone and saw that the bed was no longer occupied. Her daughter was _gone_! Her heart leapt into her throat, and pushing her chair back with a loud scrape Chloe opened her mouth to scream out Beca’s name to have the woman join her. But before she could utter a word things began to feel foggy and fuzzy.

Playing blisteringly loudly from the lounge was[ a song from The Nutcracker](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F19wepQYtmhiY81AgOwPqqU%3Fsi%3DK2hK2LrcSEOD5ybd2XVHFg&t=ODdmODMyZGJmOTE3ODE4ZjA0ODNiZDMxY2I0ZjA1MjNjMzI1Mzc4YSxEcmxJbEM4aw%3D%3D&b=t%3AGxhuq-ZZP1NhGMU0I8Ne1A&p=https%3A%2F%2Fasweetmelodytrickling.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F190021335948%2Ffor-your-christmassy-bechloe-prompt-list-the&m=1). Chloe’s heart felt as though it were about to slow to a stop she was so terrified. The very suite that Kyle had always insisted on playing over Christmas. Christmases which, over time, got more and more miserable for Chloe. More and more dangerous.

Tears sprung into her eyes like some sort of automatic response. It was no coincidence that this song was playing just as Rosie went ‘missing’, surely.

Chloe staggered almost blindly towards the door of the kitchen that would lead her towards the lounge. This would be it. He would be there. Stood there with that menacing smile, not a care in the world for his daughter who probably remained trapped in his grasp, desperate to escape. Terrified herself. But Chloe had to get to her, even if it meant sacrificing herself. Giving herself to him if it meant he’d let their daughter go and stay with Beca - at least she and Oliver would be safe with the woman. Chloe could live with that knowledge even if it meant trading in her own happiness.

The volume somehow rose, and Chloe found herself crouching down, her hands over her ears while she squeezed her eyes shut. This was torture. Her body trembled and she began to sob loudly. She just wanted to get to her little girl.

Suddenly she became aware of footsteps careering through the kitchen, and she opened her eyes enough to see her son pelting into the hallway. He looked worried and scared, but not for the same reasons that Chloe was scared. No, Oliver was only ever worried about and scared for his mother. Just six years old and he’d been in the most horrible of situations - having witnessed his father’s violent abuse towards his mother on more than one occasion.

Oliver continued past his mother, flinging himself into the lounge and Chloe had cried out in horror. Not him too! She found another ounce of energy to bring her hands from her ears and crawl on her hands and knees to the doorway of the lounge just as the music stopped.

Chloe let out a huge gasp then released a loud cry, laying flat on her front, her face now in her crossed arms. And she bawled heavily as her son put his hands on his little sister’s shoulders and told her seriously to never play the music system without Auntie Beca’s permission ever again.

The redhead sensed another presence nearby, but she didn’t feel threatened. She knew it was Beca. She knew her best friend wouldn’t know how to deal with this situation. And that was okay. Because Chloe was new to the whole ‘PTSD’ thing too. They were all muddling through it together.

Beca swallowed loudly, her mouth dry as she looked from Chloe’s sprawled body on the floor before her - the woman bawling loudly - over to Chloe’s two young children who looked at their mother - one with worry, the other with confusion. One thing was for sure, Oliver was frikkin switched on when it came to listening out for his mother.

They’d been casually chucking a ball in the back yard, and Beca had even managed to get a little smile out of him. Then suddenly the music had started playing through the open kitchen windows and like a flash, the six year old had ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, down the length of the long yard, to the kitchen door. He’d flung himself inside and had disappeared. Beca’s initial bafflement has turned to fear when she quickly realised that Oliver’s reaction meant that Chloe or Rosie or _both_ were in trouble. She’d then ran as fast as _her_ legs would carry her until she reached the kitchen.

Her heart had leapt into her throat the second she‘d seen Chloe on the floor. The second she’d heard her crying. It wasn’t unusual for the redhead to cry and Beca encouraged it. But Chloe hadn’t cried in almost two days - her best run yet.

“Mommy?” Rosie’s little voice piped up, and Beca realised the two children now crouched by their mother with worry as Chloe just laid on her side, her palms coving her face while she cried loudly into them.

“Just cuddle her, Rosie.” Oliver said, having already put his arms around his mothers neck, laying behind her. Rosie did as she was told, laying down in front of her mother and slipping between her mother’s arms.

Chloe let out a loud sob, holding her children tight while she lay on the floor with them. Then she heard her son add: “Auntie Beca, you come an’ cuddle too.” and she heard footsteps notifying her that Beca was also doing as she was told.

Beca eased herself down onto the hard laminate floor behind Oliver, tucking her legs in behind his ankles and Chloe’s hamstrings. As she wrapped her arm protectively around Oliver’s little waist, over Chloe’s side, and lolled her hand over Rosie’s side, she heard and felt Chloe let out a heavy shuddering sigh followed by a massive sniff.

And there the little family lay while they all attempted to calm down. Trusting one another. Protecting one another. Still learning together.


	15. Christmas Miracle (part 2)

[[Part 1 can be found here in last year's one shots collection]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17359811/chapters/40846865)

Chloe closed her locker up, letting out a tired sigh. So perhaps things weren’t going to be a _complete_ nightmare for the school Christmas Nativity Show tomorrow. On the contrary, following the surprise announcement that Chloe’s estranged best friend Beca would be saving the show by taking on the role of ‘Joseph’ last minute, many members of Barden High’s Dramatic Arts club mentioned what an _improvement_ it was having Beca on stage instead of Chloe’s lazy jock boyfriend. Beca miraculously knew every line, every lyric, and every stage direction. Chloe had been stunned. Impressed yet stunned.

“So I didn’t embarrass you hideously at today’s rehearsal, right?”

A coy smile swept across Chloe’s face and she turned on the spot to see Beca stood nearby, her hands fiddling with the strap of her satchel that she had slung over one shoulder. Beca seemed amused. Pleased with the way the rehearsal had gone.

“You surprised me,” Chloe replied, leaning back against her locker, hugging her school books against her chest, “but definitely didn’t embarrass me, no.”

No, the embarrassing part of the rehearsal - which had ended up being an entire run through with a couple of ‘tech assistants’ stepping in for Beca’s old position of sound coordinator - had been when Mr Jacobs (the show’s “ _Visionary_ ” as he liked to be known) had yelled “Cut!” just as Beca and Chloe had been about to share an on-stage kiss as ‘Mary & Joseph’. He claimed they should both save it for the first performance tomorrow night. Neither Beca or Chloe had objected, though secretly they’d both wanted to. That’s when both had become embarrassed - their feelings for one another had sort of bubbled up out of the blue and it had stunned them somewhat.

“Phew.” Beca replied in a plain tone, making it hard for Chloe to work out of Beca really _was_ relieved or if this was just the way Beca held conversations now - after all her voice had sarcastic tendencies that she’d never had when they’d been in elementary school together.

“How _did_ you know every bit of dialogue, lyric, and direction for Joseph anyway?” Chloe asked in a quiet curious voice, shaking her head gently in disbelief, “He has so many lines, three songs, _and_ a dance number.”

Beca shrugged. She wasn’t about to tell the girl that she’d been imagining what it’d be like to be Chad. To be able to perform with Chloe on stage. She wasn’t going to tell the redhead that she learnt it all in case the jock inevitably abandoned the show with little time left for Mr Jacobs to find a replacement. She wasn’t about to tell Chloe that she’d learnt it all for her.

“I’ve been at every rehearsal. Must have a good memory.” was her only reply. She continued to pick at the leather strap, avoiding Chloe’s gaze. But Chloe _knew_ Beca was lying. That Beca must have put more effort in than she was letting on.

“Did you wanna go for some Pizza?” Chloe asked, pointing a thumb in the direction of the exit of the dramatic arts lockers. Beca rose her eyebrows. She had a thing for the redhead. Something deep inside her had always yearned for the girl in an odd way. Ever since they’d been kids. She hadn’t known what it had been back then of course, but the past couple of months she’d come to realise that she’d fallen hard for her estranged best friend. The most popular girl at school. And now..Chloe was asking her out for Pizza? “Aubrey, Stacie, and a bunch of others are going. It could be fun?”

Chloe sounded a little unconvinced that Beca would find it fun, but the woman had asked anyway. Beca’s heart had sank. Of course they would be going with other people. People Beca didn’t actually overly like - despite them being friends with her crush.

“Thanks but…” Beca paused awkwardly, looking to her left to see Benji and Jesse looking at the sound desk in confusion, missing Chloe’s disappointed expression, “…I’ve still got a few instructions to give Benji about the sound effects.”

“Benji?” Chloe asked, her brow furrowing and Beca turned to her in amusement.

“Yeah Benji. You know…the guy who’s in, like, _all_ of your classes?”

The blank expression on Chloe’s face said it all really. Beca couldn’t believe that the redhead had no idea who a guy in their year was. And not only that, a guy who was in every one of Chloe’s classes!

Benji told Beca this fact practically every time they were at rehearsals. And Beca - who had usually been very busy trying to readjust some sound on the board somewhere - tended to reply in an unenthused, “Wow, really pleased for you there, Benj.”

Beca let out a light chuckle, “You really _are_ too popular.” and she watched in amusement as Chloe’s eyebrows rose, and her mouth dropped open, “Whaaat you are. Not knowing someone you see almost all day every day.”

“Hey I see..a _lot_ of people during the day.” Chloe tried to justify, bringing her index finger out to point at Beca. But the brunette shifted her weight onto one foot, biting the side of her cheek with raised eyebrows, trying not to laugh. It was fun having some one on one time with Chloe. To be able to tease her a bit like they’d done when they’d been kids. “I can’t be expected to remember _everyone_.”

The two seniors chuckled, enjoying their time together for the first time in years. And just as Beca was about to open her mouth to retort, a tall young man approached them cautiously. Chloe turned to look at him, wondering who he was.

“Hey uh Beca?”

Beca grinned. Ah, the man in question.

“Hey Benji. Everything alright?” Beca replied in a kind tone, having always had time for the kid who went above and beyond for anyone, with plenty of enthusiasm. Chloe was shocked. _This_ was Benji??

“Yeah I um…” Benji kept pausing, glancing awkwardly at Chloe then back to Beca, clearly nervous, “…we-we aren’t sure if we’ve switched ev-everything off correctly.” he stuttered.

“Alright well I’m coming over now.” Beca replied kindly, chuckling when she saw just how sheepish the guy was around the redhead. “You know, you _can_ say hi to Chloe.” she added, “She won’t bite.”

Benji scoffed sweeping his fingers through his hair nervously while looking down at his feet. Chloe was a bit baffled by the boy’s reaction. Most people in school were a bit stunned by her - she couldn’t work out why. But none had ever reacted like Benji was reacting right now.

“Hi.” Benji choked out, then scuttled away. Beca chuckled, watching him go then turning back to her estranged best friend with a grin.

“I’d better go.” she said, and she enjoyed the way Chloe looked back at her with a soft smile.

“Sure you don’t fancy some pizza?” the redhead asked but Beca scrunched her nose up fleetingly then shook her head.

“Nah. Posen’s not my jam.“

“Ah.” Chloe replied, giving a small nod before pushing herself off her locker to take a step up to Beca. The brunette’s breath caught in her lungs as she watched the girl pull her pen from within her loose top-knot.

“Well if you change your mind.” Chloe added slowly, reaching out and taking Beca’s left hand, “Here’s my number.”

Beca felt certain her whole body quaked with every number that Chloe wrote. As though the redhead scored it into her skin but the ink wasn’t burning, it was _soothing_. She watched as Chloe finished writing, looping her name with a heart drawn instead of an ‘o’ in Chloe.

“Text me when you want that pizza.” Chloe finished in a tempting tone, quirking an eyebrow. A grin was plastered on Beca’s face as she watched Chloe wandering out of the locker area. If Chloe wasn’t already dating one of the jocks in their year, Beca would’ve thought Chloe had just asked her out on a date.


	16. Jealous

Jesse Swanson laughed out loud, his tall frame shifting to the beat of the music that pumped out from the Trebles house behind him. He had a cup of homemade eggnog in one hand, and his phone in the other. Stood with him were three acapella girls - all of whom were Freshmen - and his college roommate Benji (who was attempting and failing to hit on them).

Many would think that a guy in college who had a girlfriend at the same party as him would refrain from playing ‘wingman’ for his best friend. That that girlfriend would become jealous and insist he didn’t even _breathe_ near any girls, let alone chat to or flirt with them. But Jesse didn’t have an ‘ordinary’ relationship with Beca. She wasn’t the jealous type. Wasn’t possessive or demanding. Which was probably what made him all the more loyal.

Still, the young man found his eyes drifting over the faces of partygoers near and far, looking for the petite brunette to check-in and make sure he wasn’t taking things too far. But the moment his eyes landed on her, Jesse found his stomach curl into a jealous knot.

Beca stood with her fellow Bellas, laughing and dancing while taking large swigs of eggnog from her solo cup. But that wasn’t what had Jesse feeling jealous. No, what made him feel jealous was that the girl had her hand casually stuffed into the back pocket of one of the Bellas’ pants!

Chloe Beale. The girl who had accidentally drunkenly admitted to Benji a couple of months ago that she had a crush on Beca - who had subsequently told Jesse because he felt a sense of loyalty to the man. When Jesse had warned Beca she’d simply rolled her eyes and had just said it was Chloe being Chloe, leaving it at that.

Right now, Chloe seemed to be delighted with Beca’s uncharacteristic affection, a smile that was bigger than normal plastered over her face while she leant over to Beca and muttered something into her ear. Beca seemed to laugh loudly at whatever was said, and Chloe looked on proudly, clearly pleased she was able to make the prickly brunette so happy, even with alcohol in their system.

“Uh, excuse me.” Jesse muttered to the three girls who hadn’t really given Benji any attention while the taller handsome Treblemaker had been stood with them.

He began wading his way over to The Bellas, his mood darkening internally with every step closer he took. Beca had never stuffed her hand into _his_ back pocket. But she seemed to have no trouble doing so with Chloe. For Jesse it had been almost a daily struggle trying to teach Beca how to be more affectionate. It hadn’t ever come naturally to her for some reason. Though Chloe seemed to be the exception..

“Hey Bellaaaaas!” he announced with a forced smile on his face, and he noticed the way Beca quickly brought her hand away from Chloe, using it to cradle her solo cup instead. If Jesse hadn’t had anything to worry about then why did Beca look so guilty when around him _and_ Chloe?

“Jesseeeee!” came the chorus of ethusiastic Bellas, all looking awkwardly at him. They seemed to gather together and stand between him and Beca & Chloe. As though creating a barrier. Or perhaps that was just his mind playing tricks on him? Consumed with so much jealousy.

“Well, what do you think of the party?” he asked, over compensating his optimistic tone. But his eyes quickly looked past The Bellas before him as the girls all chatted at once about how they loved a good Christmas party and this was definitely one of the best. But Jesse wasn’t listening and instead his eyes flicked from Beca to Chloe then back again. They both _looked_ guilty.

“Beca could I have a word?” he eventually said over the music coming from the house behind them. The Bellas all looked at one another nervously. Even Chloe looked to Beca anxiously. But Beca maintained a serious expression, her mouth a thin horizontal line as she looked back at him.

“Anything you have to say to her you can say to all of us.” Fat Amy said defensively, and the girls around her nodded in a determined fashion. But Jesse wasn’t here for them. He was here for Beca. And fortunately Beca (who had glanced at Chloe briefly) seemed to nod at him.

“No, it’s alright.”

Beca stepped away from Chloe, between her friends, and Jesse guided them away from her pack. His heart was thumping. He was annoyed. Of all the people Beca would stand with, would practically snuggle up with, it was _her_?? The girl he’d warned her about?

“What’s up Jess?” Beca asked in a tone that was hardly sincere. Jesse found himself chewing the inside of his cheek while looking down at her. He hardly recognised her any more.

“You and Chloe seem pretty cosy.” He said confrontationally, and to his annoyance Beca let out a heavy puff of air, rolling her eyes before looking over at her group of friends - more specifically Chloe.

“Jesse-” she began to complain, but Jesse was sort of beyond excuses now.

“I just think it’s a bit disrespectful that you come here-”

“-To an acapella party. With my acapella group?” Beca’s rhetorical question is sarcastic and smartass and it’s exactly what Jesse had needed to begin getting riled up.

“That you come here _with_ Chloe.”

“She’s the Co-Captain of The Bellas and a big party-goer. There’s no way she would’ve stayed at home..” Beca tried to quip but it was too much for the young man.

“You _know_ what I mean.” he replied through gritted teeth and Beca let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping as she looked up at him seriously.

“You and I aren’t together any more, Jesse. Remember?” and this time Jesse’s shoulders slump as she reminds him of the fact that is still a bitter taste in his mouth whenever he has to explain it to someone. That he and Beca are no longer dating. “What I get up to with Chloe is none of your business.”

“So you two _are_ a thing now?” He asked, almost desperately not wanting to know the answer. Not wanting to hear the words fall from his ex-girlfriend’s mouth. And she looked up at him, her eyes flicking from his left eye to right and back again over and over, clearly trying to decide whether to be honest or spare his feelings. Eventually she came to a conclusion.

“Yeah.” she replies plainly, honestly. Jesse’s heart stops beating for a moment, feeling winded with the verbal blow that Beca had swung into his stomach. He’d turned his ex-girlfriend _gay_?? “Look, we’re not being all ‘in your face’ about it.” Beca continued in a cautious tone, glancing over at Chloe who was watching on in concern with the rest of The Bellas, “This is really new. For all of us.”

Jesse swallowed loudly, then looked back down at the petite woman before him. God he missed her. But like Benji had said to him before, it was no good being with someone who made him feel like crap even if he loved her. And while Beca had never intentionally tried to make him feel like crap, Jesse had become exhausted with trying to make her more affectionate towards him.

“ _You_ broke up with _me_..” Beca added in a slightly pleading tone, not wanting her ex-boyfriend to ruin what had been a fun night so far.

“Yeah I know.” Jesse mumbled bitterly, looking down at his feet. He was just annoyed that Beca seemed to have moved on so quickly. And with _Chloe_.

“Everything okay here?”

Beca and Jesse both looked over to see that Benji had slipped over to them with an awkward expression on his face. He’d been a sort of mediator during the whole thing when Jesse and Beca had broken up last month. It’d been hard work.

“Yeah.” Beca replied, scratching the back of her head then motioning to Jesse, “I was just telling Jesse what a good party this was.”

Benji’s eyebrows rose, clearly surprised that his best friend and best friend’s ex were being so civil, “Oh. Wow, that’s really nice of you.”

“Yeah.” Jesse agreed, trying not to feel too sick. Sick at the thought of his ex kissing and doing whatever with Chloe..

“I’ll see you around Jess.” Beca added, then wandered away from him, back over to her friends (and girlfriend?). He sensed Benji step closer to him and felt the young man slap him on the back.

“She and Chloe are a thing now.” Jesse said grimly. And Benji let out a sigh. He already knew of course. He’d caught Beca and Chloe making out in the rehearsal room last week. Not that he’d ever tell Jesse that.

“It’ll get better.” is the only thing he ever really said to his roommate any more. It was the best support he had. Perhaps Jesse needed the numbers of those Freshman girls more than he did..


	17. First Christmas

**[Part of the Deaf AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18449804/chapters/43708421) **

Tucked away in Beca’s bedroom, Beca sat cross-legged on her bed. Sat cross-legged before her, donning a Christmas sweater and Christmas pyjamas, was Chloe. And the two young women smiled into the deep kiss they were currently sharing.

They were now Sophomores, sharing a perfect little one bed apartment just off Barden University campus. And because they were sharing an apartment and a bed and generally played ‘house’ together, their first Christmas as a couple was already feeling odd. For one thing, they were staying at Beca’s over the holiday period. For another thing, they were sleeping in separate bedrooms. And for another thing…they had to keep Beca’s bedroom door open if they were both in there together.

Beca had initially protested (“Dad we share a frikkin bed at college!”) but her father had left her with little choice (“Look, it was the only way I could persuade Sandra to let Chloe stay here over Christmas. It was her main condition.”) So the two young women made do with having to share their more intimate moments (hand holding, cuddling, making out) with the door open. Fortunately Beca’s father didn’t actively check on them.

Chloe’s hands slipped up Beca’s thighs as Beca’s tongue continued to lap at the inside of her top lip. Recently their make out sessions had been getting a little more daring. Hands drifted down to cup ass cheeks, palms drifted up to cup fabric covered breasts, tongues slipped across jawlines, teeth nibbled gently at necks and collarbones. It was natural progression and as Chloe was the least experienced of the two of them, Beca ensured they only ever went at the redhead’s pace.

Their kiss broke, and their foreheads leant gently against one another while they attempted to steady their breathing. Beca’s hands drifted up to cup Chloe’s cheeks gently, before dropping down. Smiles remained on their faces as they parted, looking into one another’s eyes affectionately.

“ _I want to have sex with you_.” Chloe signed gently, nervously. Beca’s eyes seemed to bulge as she looked intently at her girlfriend.

“ _Are you sure_?” She checked, signing with one hand while her other now rested on one of Chloe’s hands that held her thigh. Chloe simply nodded with a coy smile on her face. “ _Because I’m happy to wait as long as you need_.”

But Chloe chuckled sweetly, bringing her hand up to cup Beca’s cheek before letting it drop and she signed, “ _I know. You’ve said before. But I’m done waiting._ ” Beca took a deep intake of breath through her nose as Chloe added, “ _I trust you_.”

Beca’s smile broadened as she saw Chloe looking at her with so much love and adoration that her chest felt full enough to burst. Exchanging _I love you_ ’s had been easy. But this was a whole other ballgame in terms of commitment in their relationship. Sex was intimate. Personal. Full of trust and care. Beca wanted to make sure it was all done right. And Chloe _knew_ that Beca would do everything in her power to make sure it was done right. That was why she trusted her so.

“ _Okay_.”

“Hey, Bec?”

Beca jumped at the sound of her fathers voice and looked over from the girlfriend to see him stood in the doorway. She could tell by his expression that he hadn’t walked by while they’d been kissing. He would’ve looked way more flustered. Instead he hovered awkwardly while adding:

“Don’t forget, we agreed lights out at midnight.”

Ah, yeah the other downside to being under her fathers roof. Agreeing to a ‘lights out’ curfew. Initially it had been 11pm but Beca had managed to push it to midnight.

Chloe, who had turned to see Dr Mitchell stood in the doorway, promptly removed her hands from his daughter’s thighs. She saw him tapping his watch and realised he’d probably just spoken to Beca. Sure enough, she turned to see the brunette looking at her phone. It was 00:05. Five minutes past their curfew. It sucked but it made reuniting with each other the next morning all the more exciting.

“Yeah, hold on Dad.” Beca said and signed (for the benefit of her girlfriend). Dr Mitchell stood patiently in the doorway, knowing that his daughter wouldn’t take advantage of his good nature but similarly would try to stretch the ‘hold on’ for as long as possible. It was only natural.

“ _So are you wanting to do it here??_ ” Beca signed to Chloe, her expression a curious one. She was confident that her father couldn’t read sign.

“ _Yeah_?” Chloe signed back with a shrug. If she was honest she really wasn’t sure. She’d never envisioned the location. She’d only ever envisioned her first time being with Beca. “ _I don’t mind as long as I’m with you._ ”

Beca let out a soft sigh and a gentle smile, reaching out and briefly squeezing Chloe’s hand before replying.

“ _Do you think you can wait a couple of days for me to make things perfect?_ ” Beca asked with both hands and Chloe’s smile spread across her face, her heartrate speeding up with excitement.

“ _Just being with you is perfect enough._ ” she replied, and when Beca rolled her eyes with a coy smile at the compliment she let out a light chuckle, “ _But yes, I can definitely wait a couple of days_.”

“ _Perfect_.” Beca replied, and her hands dropped to take Chloe’s. They looked into each other’s eyes with soft smiles on their faces.

In a couple of days time it would be Christmas Eve. There was something magical and cosy enough about that day as it was. Beca taking the time to make it extra special would be the greatest gift Chloe had ever received. She couldn’t wait.

Beca jumped at the sound of her father clearing his throat in the doorway to her bedroom. It was odd that he’d just witnessed his daughter agreeing to sex with her girlfriend without even realising that that was what he’d just seen.

“ _Dad’s clearing his throat._ ” Beca signed with a chuckle and Chloe’s smile broadened.

“ _I’d better go._ ” she replied, and Beca nodded gently. Chloe leant her face forward, placing a firm kiss on her girlfriends lips before backing off and slipping off the bed.

“ _Goodnight_.” she signed when she looked over her shoulder and Beca smiled gently, signing “ _Goodnight_.” in return.

“She says goodnight.” Beca translated for her father as Chloe signed ‘ _Goodnight_ ’ to him too, and Dr Mitchell copied the sign awkwardly, having tried to make an effort to sign since finding out that Beca and Chloe were now dating.

The two Mitchell’s watched Chloe disappear behind the door of the guest bedroom, then Michael turned back to his daughter with a kind smile.

“It’s nice to see you so happy, Beca.” he said.

“It’s nice to feel so happy, Dad.” she replied, and she returned his little wave as he closed the door, both mumbling “Goodnight.” to one another.


	18. Gingerbread House

Chloe sloped into her dorm block with a heavy tired sigh, pulling her woolly hat from her head and rubbing her runny nose with a loud sniff. She loved winter when she got to wrap up warm and put on her favourite winter boots and trudge through snow. But there was never any snow up at her college. And she missed it in a weird way. Missed the freezing Brooklyn streets and having to tuck up to keep warm at home in that draughty studio apartment..

As she ascended the stairs, slowly, one at a time, she pulled her gloves from her hands and stuffed them with her hat in her satchel. One more day. Just one more day until she was finished for the holidays.

This year she’d been invited to Fat Amy’s villa in the Caribbean for Christmas, along with the rest of The Bellas. And all had been delighted, immediately agreeing. All except Beca who had revealed she’d be working all holiday. The Bellas had been disappointed. But none had been more disappointed than Chloe, who had tried her hardest to understand. She and Beca…well they weren’t a _thing_. But they had this unspoken bond that none of the others had with them. An unspoken bond that had seen them hugging each other for longer than they’d ever hugged before when they last parted ways. An unspoken bond that had found Beca nuzzling into Chloe’s neck while Chloe did the same with Beca. And as they’d parted they’d looking deep into one another’s eyes and had _almost_ kissed. All until Beca’s entourage had barged into the room and Beca had been promptly whisked away.

That had been seven months ago. Seven months of yearning. Seven months of half-written texts in which Chloe had had no confidence to finish writing let alone sending. Beca was busy. Far too busy for her. And Chloe hadn’t wanted to distract her. She was an internationally acclaimed recording artist now. Their lives were entirely different. But Chloe _missed_ Beca.

“ _Surpriiiiise_!!!”

The chorus of voices rang out the second Chloe entered her dorm room and she let out a shriek of shock and delight. As her hands flew to her cheeks she beamed at the gaggle of women stood within her tiny dorm. The Bellas. Her best friends all before her with huge smiles on their faces. All ten of th- ah…just nine. Chloe counted only nine. And it didn’t take a genius to work out who was missing.

“What are you guys _doing_ here??” Chloe asked in a bright tone that she forced out in an attempt to cloak her disappointment.

“We all finished work early so-” Aubrey began excitably, but her eyes rolled when she was abruptly interrupted by Fat Amy who had shoved her to one side to stride forward and pull Chloe into a bone-crushing hug.

“-We thought you would want to start Christmas celebrations early as it’s your favourite time of year!” the Australian added and Chloe let out a chuckle as she patted Amy on the back. It was true. It was her favourite time of year. Though recently - with all her exams - she hadn’t been feeling festive at all. And she had a hard time believing that she’d find any festive spirit in the _Caribbean_.

“Oh that’s so _sweet_ of you guys!” Chloe gushed, tearing up slightly as Amy finally let her go and stepped back to the little posse.

“We brought alcohol!” Emily burst with a grin, motioning to a large trunk of ice and bottles of beer and spirits. Chloe’s eyes widened, impressed.

“And ingredients to build a gingerbread house!” Stacie added, and Chloe let out a small gasp when she watched Jessica and Ashley part to reveal that her large desk had been carefully cleared to make way for tonnes of gingerbread pieces, icing, and candy.

Chloe couldn’t believe it. She’d always firmly believed that it wasn’t Christmas without a gingerbread house. It was a tradition she’d upheld every year she’d been in college - including the four years she’d been with everyone here - then the three years following. In fact, last year she’d only forgotten to do it because she’d been so caught up in the stress of being a freshman again at such a challenging school. She’d been devastated when it had got to Christmas Day and she’d realised she’d not made a gingerbread house..

“Guys, I-I don’t know what to say.” Chloe stuttered in a soft tone of wonder and disbelief, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us.” Cynthia Rose replied in a kind voice matching her kind smile.

“Yeah it wasn’t our idea.” Aubrey added. Chloe hesitated, and her breath caught in her throat as she heart a pair of feet step gently into the room behind her, creaking that pesky floorboard.

She saw the way her friends peered behind her with soft smiles on their faces. But Chloe was too afraid to turn around. Her eyes glanced from one Bella to another. There was definitely nine. Beca was definitely missi-

“It’s not a Christmas without a gingerbread house. Right?”

Chloe’s eyes fluttered closed and she tugged her lips into her mouth to keep herself from letting out a sob. She knew that voice. She knew it was Beca. She knew Beca was smiling, and was happy to be here. But Chloe couldn’t believe that she really was here. It must be some sort of joke. Beca _wasn’t_ here.

After a couple of moments, Chloe decided she couldn’t exactly just stand there and keep everyone waiting. So finally exhaling the breath she’d held, Chloe slowly turned on the spot.

Her eyes fell upon the affectionate smile of one Beca Mitchell. Somehow looking a little older. A little wiser. A little more tired. But beneath it all, the same Beca Mitchell that Chloe had fallen in love with nine years ago.

“Beca made a separate group chat and organised for us to all come up here and surprise you.” Stacie explained from across the room. And Chloe’s smile broadened while a tear slipped from her right eye. _Beca was here._

“We only found out this morning that she’s got Christmas off.” Flo added, clearly thrilled by the need.

Chloe’s face opened into a wide beaming smile, “You’re off?” she blubbed and Beca shrugged in true Beca-style, as though it was no big deal.

“Well when I explained how you and I left things, my boss was quick to give me the week off.” she said and Chloe’s eyebrows rose.

“Seriously?”

“Nah, he doesn’t know anything. But apparently I’ve earned Christmas off to spend it any way I want.” Beca replied with a grin, taking a step towards Chloe.

“Wait a minute.” came Fat Amy’s voice, cutting through the peaceful atmosphere, and Beca and Chloe both looked over at their friends while Amy added, “How _did_ you guys leave things?”

Smiles grew on Beca and Chloe’s faces as they both turned back to look at one another. Chloe’s eyes drifted down to Beca’s perfect lips before glancing back up at the woman’s beautiful deep blue eyes. But Beca was still looking down at Chloe’s lips. And before the redhead had any time to process what she wanted to do next, Beca surged forward, bringing a hand to the back of Chloe’s head while swinging her other hand around her waist, and placed a firm kiss on her lips.

A smile poked in the corners of Chloe’s mouth as her own arms wound around Beca’s body, deepening the kiss. Loud shrieks of delight sounded from The Bellas causing Beca and Chloe to break their kiss with a chuckle and giggle.

“You’re _dating_?!” Stacie cried out in joy as she, along with the other Bellas, surged forward to pull the two women into a group hug. And all Beca and Chloe could do was accept it while grinning at each other.

There’d be time to talk about it privately of course. But until then, there was catching up with the Bellas to do, alcohol to consume, and a gingerbread house to build. And Chloe couldn’t think of a more perfect way to start her Christmas festivities.


	19. Music Producers

Beca let out a long giggle, her eyes squeezed shut while she hung her head back in her chair. Her knees were tucked up to her chest, lolling to the left and resting on the arm of the swivel chair. And in her hands was a box of Chinese takeout and a pair of chopsticks.

Chloe smiled brightly in delight, a box of takeout and chopsticks in her own hands, while she sat on a swivel chair beside her best friend and roommate. She hadn’t expected Beca to have found her story _that_ funny, but she was pleased to have cheered the brunette up for at least a few seconds.

Suddenly the sound of someone clearing their voice loudly had Beca practically choking on her food, the young woman sitting forward with a jump, her legs slipping down off the chair. Chloe looked over her shoulder to see one of the senior producers stood in the doorway, having opened it to check in on how their recently appointed ‘Junior Music Producer’ was getting on.

“Uh, hey Evan! I um…” Beca stuttered, swivelling around trying to find a flat surface to place her takeout box that _wasn’t_ on the mixing desk, “…I was just uh…” she was failing and blushing harder by the second, “…this is Chloe, my um…” she rose to her feet to place the box down on a nearby table then wiped her greasy hands on the back of her pants awkwardly, motioning to Chloe, “…my roommate.”

Evan, who had had a small amused smile slowly creep on her face at Beca’s reaction to her arrival, glanced over at Chloe curiously, “Roommate huh?”

Chloe, meanwhile, had decided that Beca’s reaction revealed just how important this woman probably was, so proceeded to stand and place her own takeout box on the table beside Beca’s. All the while, Beca rambled:

“Yeah she-she’s my roommate. Been my closest friend since-since-since college and w-we’re the closest now.”

“Hm.” Evan grunted, keeping her eyes on Chloe who cleared her throat and smiled politely, the younger woman standing beside Beca, “Not the loud snorer?” she checked and Beca was quick to place a hand on Chloe’s arm in horror.

“No!” she burst, glancing momentarily at Chloe before looking back at her boss, “ _No_ -”

“-The girl who never pays you for some of the rent or bills?”

“No definitely not. No, Chloe contributes.” Beca quickly said, turning to Chloe to insist that wasn’t what she thought of her, “You contribute.”

“The one you have a crush on?” Evan asks in all seriousness. She was a shit stirrer. She always had been. She had been renowned for it in high school and college. She _prided_ _herself_ in it.

“Yes. _No_! No I uh…I don’t…ha…” Beca stuttered and let out a nervous ‘ha’ assuming her senior was joking even though she’d absolutely called her out. Beca _did_ have a crush on Chloe. But she thought she hadn’t told anyone. She glanced at Chloe, her stomach scrambling as she became hot under the collar, “…she-she’s joking.”

To her dismay Chloe just blinked back at her, confused, and as Beca turned to look at her senior she saw Evan looking back at her seriously. _When_ had she told her about the crush??

“Did you get that contract I asked you to read over?” Evan eventually asked, the pause running for so long that even _she_ found herself becoming impatient at Beca’s unconfident nature around her little crush of a roommate. Beca’s eyebrows flew up, desperate to still impress everyone here at the company and to show her worth as the youngest ever appointed ‘Junior Music Producer’.

“Yes! Yes definitely. I put it and some notes on it in your pidgeon hole…” she paused as Evan looked surprised and the brunette swallowed loudly, “…which I’m guessing isn’t where it should’ve gone.”

“All contracts go directly to their recipient. No hanging around in pidgeon holes or on people’s desks. It’s how things get missed.” Evan answered in a plain tone causing Beca to become even more flustered.

“Right. Yeah, I knew that.” and she began heading for the door, “I-I’ll just go and get it. Hang on.”

Beca lunged out of the door, letting it swing shut behind her, and the room fell silent once more. Chloe was so nervous of the tall powerful redhead before her that her heart raced twice as fast. She’d heard Beca speak about Evan before. She was a force to be reckoned with apparently and Chloe could see why.

“I wasn’t joking by the way.” the older woman said and when Chloe looked at her with a blank expression she realised she needed to elaborate, “About her having a crush on you.” Chloe’s eyebrows rose in surprise, “I dunno if you’re into girls or anything but she’s really into you so…my advice is if you do like her back then get on and do something about it.”

“Oh.” Chloe replied in the tiniest voice, wondering why the hell Evan was telling her this.

“Because then Beca can channel all that emotion into her job.” there it was “And she’ll become a better music producer for it.”

Suddenly Beca stumbled back into the studio, somewhat breathless, and Chloe wondered how far she’d had to run to get the paperwork Evan was after. The brunette moved over to the two women and handed the contract over to the oldest. Evan took it with a small grunt, then looked back at Chloe seriously.

“Think about it.”

Then left the room.

Once the door had swung shut, Beca turned to Chloe with a furrowed brow, “Think about what?”

And Chloe just let out a small sigh, her mind fuzzy with thoughts and her soul fuzzy with feelings. She turned to pick up her takeout box and chopsticks.

“You’ll see.” she replied calmly, and returned to her seat ready to continue helping Beca with this new mix she was struggling with.


	20. The Grinch

## Bellas Whatsapp

 **Chloe** : It’s the day after Thanksgivinggggg 😍

 **Chloe** : You know what that meeeans!!!

 **CR** : 😂

 **CR** : Happy Christmas Chloe!

 **Chloe** : Christmas is approaching 😍😍😍

 **Stacie** : Classic Chloe 😄

 **Chloe** :

[Originally posted by iistrawberry](https://tmblr.co/Z0_Aaw2TKWdMx)

**Chloe** : Home Alone is playing tonight at Chateau Beale-Mitchell-Hobart 😍

 **Flo** : Oh can I join??

 **Chloe** : YES of course!

 **Chloe** : We’ve got chestnuts, and cinnamon hot chocolates, and gingerbread cookies 😍

 **Emily** : 😫 I wish I lived in Brooklyn 😭 xxx

 **Aubrey** : Ahhh Merry Christmas Chloe 😘

 **Jessica** : Ooh let the Christmas crafts begin!

 **Ashley** : I’ll bring the festive felt!

 **Chloe** :

[Originally posted by happycottage](https://tmblr.co/ZjI9PX2moxhxN)

**Beca** : NO!!

 **Beca** : Chloe Beale there’d better not be any decorations hanging up when I get home from work!!!

 **Fat Amy** : Chloe’s not hung any decorations.

 **Beca** : Good!

 **Fat Amy** : I have 😎

 **Beca** : 😫

 **Beca** : Guys it’s NOVEMBER!!

 **Stacie** : 😂😂😂

 **CR** : Beca if you WILL date a girl obsessed with Christmas…

 **Beca** : 🙄

 **Beca** : We’re not dating!

 **Stacie** : Right yeah because two grown ass women sharing a bed doesn’t scream commitment..

 **Beca** : We can’t afford a bigger apartment!!!!!!!

 **Beca** : 😠

 **Chloe** : Guuuys lay off her

 **Beca** : THANK you!

 **Emily** : Oh Beca! Think how much happier you’ll be cosied up watching Home Alone tonight 😌 xxx

 **Beca** : 🙄

 **Chloe** : 😇

 **Aubrey** : Emily, Beca will never be happy about Home Alone because she’s The Grinch!

 **Beca** : I’m flattered

 **CR** : Isn’t it like your favourite Christmas movie?

 **Beca** : Definitely

 **Fat** **Amy** : We could always watch that tonight instead?

 **Chloe** : We could!!! Totally!!

 **Beca** : 😐

 **Fat Amy** : That’s not a noooooooo 😏

 **Chloe** : Pleeeeeease??

[Originally posted by doggos-with-jobs](https://tmblr.co/ZvSkic2moLuCr)

**Beca** : Dont!

 **Chloe** : What?

[Originally posted by bow-chicka-meow-meow](https://tmblr.co/ZeIPMd2XIzy9i)

**Beca** : You know what, Beale!

 **Chloe** :

[Originally posted by irina-bourry](https://tmblr.co/ZjibWo20pC78E)

**Beca** : Stop with the cute animal gifs!

 **Chloe** : 😇 but you looove cute animal gifs!

 **Beca** : It’s not gonna make me change my mind..

 **CR** : 😂 you love cute animals!!

 **Stacie** : 😂 never thought I’d see the day she’d admit that!

 **Emily** : 😍 oh Beca the best of us do!! Xxx

 **Beca** : 🙄

 **Chloe** : Please can we watch The Grinch tonight??

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Beca** : FINE!!! 🙄

 **Chloe** : Please!

 **Chloe** : Yay!!

 **Beca** : But I’m NOT dressing up like last year!

 **Aubrey** : She’ll end up dressing up

 **Beca** : I WONT!

 **Stacie** : 😂 Beca you’re so whipped for Chloe you’ll totally dress up!

 **CR** : Yeah, it’s not Christmas with your girlfriend without letting her dress you up 😂

 **Beca** : She’s not my girlfriend!!!

 **Ashley** : Maybe you should do something about that 😏

 **Beca** : Huh?

 **Jessica** : Yeah! Ask Chloe out on a date!

 **Ashley** : You guys obviously like each other

 **CR** : I can only imagine how giddy Chloe is waiting for Beca’s response right now 😂

 **Fat Amy** : She’s literally sat on the bed holding her phone with two hands staring at it

 **Chloe** : I’m not THAT bad!

 **Beca** : Ha!

 **Beca** : Look if Chloe wants to ask me out then fine! But I’m not doing it just because it’s Christmas..

 **Chloe** : So you DO admit it’s Christmas 😍

 **Beca** : 🙄 Ugh!

 **Chloe** :

[Originally posted by desingyouruniverse](https://tmblr.co/Zqw55y2mlJtZR)

**Beca** : Just…don’t make me dress up!

 **Chloe** : 😇

 **Emily** : The has been so lovely to watch 😍 xxx

 **Lilly** : Agreed

 **CR** : Yeah. Chloe don’t forget to ask Beca out 😉

 **Beca** : 🖕

 **Chloe** : I won’t 🤗

 **Aubrey** : Shame she’s a Grinch and you’re like a resident of Whoville x

 **Emily** : 🙁 xxx

 **Beca** :

[Originally posted by kpfun](https://tmblr.co/ZDhMsx2mqtqLJ)

**Chloe** : Don’t worry Emily!

 **Chloe** : She’ll have a Santa hat on by the end of the night 😉

 **Beca** : Fuck off will I!!

 **Stacie** : 😂

 **CR** : 😂

 **Jessica** : 😂

 **Ashley** : 😂

 **Emily** : 😍

 **Chloe** : JOKES babe 😂

 **Chloe** : Safe journey home xx

 **Stacie** : 😏 “babe”

 **Beca** : 🙄

 **Beca** : (Will do x)

 **Fat Amy** : 😏 Bloeeeee

 **CR** : Let is know how ~~date~~ ~~night~~ movie night goes!

 **Fat** **Amy** : Oh don’t you worry! Me and Flo will!

 **Flo** : We will?

 **Fat** **Amy** : 👍


	21. Winter Lodge*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explicit

[ **Part of the Striking Vipers AU** ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22254019/chapters/53139700)

Chloe closes the bedroom door over having been to the bathroom and patters over to her marital bed with a satisfied sigh. She tries to contain her excitement as she scrambles beneath the covers. Three days before Thanksgiving and her husband has decided to do ‘overtime’ at The Lodge of Fallen Leaves. It’s not an unusual occurrence any more. Since secretly finding out about his affair with Aubrey, Chloe has been noticing just how often Chicago is out of the house. And when he’s home she’s been noticing just how often he’s on his phone, texting.

It doesn’t bother her as much as most would expect. It _does_ bother her. But he husband being away more means that Chloe has more opportunity to go on her VRX Console. The console that her very best friend gifted to her months ago, along with the game: _Sims X_. The game that Chloe herself has been using to undertake an explicit affair with said best friend.

Chloe twists the VRX gem onto her temple, settles her head back onto the plump pillow - the covers of which she changed to fresh less than an hour agoz In her right hand she holds the console’s controller while the fingertips of her left drift lazily across the patch of pyjama top that’s covering her left nipple. The nipple is already erect and she can feel a pressure building between her legs. She’s ready for this.

As she flutters her eyes closed, Chloe takes one last deep intake of breath, then presses the green button on the controller.

“Wha-?”

Chloe ‘pings’ into the game, but her mouth drops open at her surroundings. This isn’t the Barden neighbourhood that Beca had recreated. Not the Brooklyn neighbourhood. No this was some place she’d never been before.

“Like it?” comes a familiar voice that warms Chloe’s soul. She whips around to see Beca stood wearing a cheesy light up Christmas sweater, tight black pants, and fluffy Christmas slippers. Chloe can’t remember Beca ever liking Christmas - certainly not like this, enough to wear a Christmas sweater _and_ slippers voluntarily. Yet here she was.

They’re stood within a snug log cabin. It’s nighttime but Chloe just _knows_ that outside it’s snowing.

To her left is an arrangement of couches pointing towards a large fireplace that boasts a large crackling fire. Hung up from the hearth of that fireplace are two Christmas stockings: one with the letter ‘C’ embroydered on the front and one with the letter ‘B’.

To her right is a glorious large Christmas tree, decorated to perfection, with more presents underneath than Chloe has ever seen in her life. Paper snowflakes and seemingly homemade and home crafted decorations hang around the room.

And before her stands Beca leaning back against a square dining table, which stands in the centre of a little open plan kitchen. The cabin smells of cinnamon, Christmas cookies, Christmas tree pine, and part of the cracklings fire. Christmas choir music plays low in the background somewhere. And upon realising all of this and taking it all in, a smile spreads across Chloe’s face.

She looks back at Beca who seems to be watching her anxiously, clearly hoping it’s all okay.

“I _love_ it!!” Chloe bursts, and it appears to fill Beca with relief. Her body seems to relax, a smile spreading across her face.

“Good. Well I know how much you love Christmas and can’t wait for that holiday season so I figured, why not start that season early for you.”

Beca motions to Chloe and the redhead looks down the length of her Sims body. It’s her 40 year old body. Not her favourite (as it’s her current body), but clearly Beca’s chosen it so they can play as themselves in their current state back in the real world. It makes things feel a tiny bit more real. A tiny bit.

And Chloe’s body is also donning a light up sweater and light up slippers. The only difference to Beca is that Chloe genuinely did own these two items once upon a time - back in college. Back then Beca would roll her eyes, but seeing them making a comeback tonight makes Chloe realise just how much Beca must have secretly loved her wearing them.

“Beca, this is _amazing_!” Chloe bursts again, beaming at her best friend who slowly wanders towards her with a soft smile on her face, “I can’t believe you’ve done all this for little old me!”

“Well you deserve it, Beale.” Beca replies in an affectionate tone, calling Chloe by her maiden name as she always does, “I told you, I can give you anything you want. Everything you want. You just have to ask.”

Chloe genuinely can’t think of anything she wants more than this. Of Beca and herself spending the night here in a new VRX environment. Curled up all cosy and warm celebrating Chloe’s favourite holiday.

She slips her hands around Beca’s waist the moment the brunette approaches her, her smile softening while the woman uses her left hand to cup Chloe’s cheek. Beca’s chosen to make her Sim a couple of inches taller than her again. Chloe likes it. And it makes her excited for what is to come. A taller Sim means a stronger Sim. And a stronger Sim means that Beca will be taking the lead tonight. She’ll be doing the lifting..

“I think this is pretty perfect.” Chloe mumbles, her face tilting up towards Beca’s whose lips slowly head down towards hers.

“That’s ‘cause you’re here.”

A cheesy line, but one that sets Chloe’s heart on fire. She’s a sucker for cheesy one liners. She always has been. And right now is no exception. Chloe slips her hands up to grasp the back of Beca’s neck, and pulls her best friend towards her to seal the impending kiss.

—

“Trust me, Beale. We’re not gonna get frostbite.”

Beca’s tone is playful and she’s clearly amused. Chloe stands at the open back door of the winter lodge, her arms folded over her stomach. Her bare feet are little more than an inch from the thick snow on the porch before her.

“It’s just a bit of a mind-fuck, you know?” Chloe says, almost baffled with what they’re about to do.

They’ve been at the winter lodge for around an hour. Beca has shown Chloe around the new place. Has explained what she’s hoped for them while they spend the next ‘thirty six hours’ together in this VRX world. And Chloe’s loved every suggestion Beca’s had. Except this one. The idea of this one still has her mind in a twist.

“It looks like snow, it’s the same texture as snow, but it won’t be freezing. In fact, you won’t feel it at all!” Beca says proudly, as though her latest ‘VRX invention’ is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Chloe looks at the woman skeptically and Beca let’s out a short sigh.

“Wait!” Chloe squeaks, reaching out, but before she can get to Beca, the brunette has taken a step forward and her bare foot lands in the snow. Chloe holds her breath, awaiting an inevitable hiss of discomfort from Beca. But it doesn’t come.

“See. No problem.” Beca says with a shrug, now standing before Chloe with both bare feet in the snow. Chloe’s eyes look up from Beca’s bare feet, up her bare legs, her exposed pussy and scarred torso, over her beautiful bare breasts, the curve of her jaw, all the way up to Beca’s eyes. And she hugs her bottom lip between her teeth as Beca holds her hand out for Chloe to take.

With a deep intake of breath, Chloe steps out, taking Beca’s hand while sinking her bare foot into the warm snow. And a gasp falls from the redhead’s mouth. Beca was right! No problem. In fact she barely noticed it at all. Chloe brings her other foot out into the snow to meet her other and she lets out a chuckle as she looks at Beca who beams at her.

“Told ya.” Beca says with a wink and Chloe simply chuckles again.

Allowing Beca to lead the way, Chloe continues to hold her best friend’s hand as they step through the thick warm snow, over to a beautiful outdoor hot tub. The steam rises from the bubbling water in what visually should be a bitterly cold night, but thanks to the VRX world, it’s a comfortable temperature all around.

The two women clamber into the hot tub and each let out heavy sighs of satisfaction. The hot water soothes their Sim bodies. And they sit beside each other, naked, looking out at the darkness before them.

A smile spread across Chloe’s face as she notes all the stars in the sky and a beautiful full moon that highlights the natural scenery around them. Then to her delight, she spots the Northern Lights dancing across the sky.

“You said you’d always wanted to see them.” Chloe hears Beca say to her right, and the redhead turns to see the woman looking at her in wonder, as though Chloe were the Northern Lights herself.

Silence continues around them. Even the bubbles and whirring from the hot tub appear to be on a ‘low volume’ setting. And after a few moments Chloe realises Beca’s hand has slipped onto her thigh beneath the water. The heat, the bubbles, and the feeling of being naked set both Beca and Chloe’s arousal sky high.

Chloe slowly leans her face towards Beca’s, and after the briefest hesitation, the two share a soft slow kiss. They’ve done a _lot_ in their VRX world. Pushed every boundary. And yet this is the first time they’ve been in a hot tub naked together.

As the kisses becomes a little firmer and a little bit noiser in terms of lips smacking with every end to the kiss, Beca’s hand slips a little further inwards. And while Chloe would love nothing more than to be able to tug Beca out of this hot tub and drag her inside to the bedroom, she’s curious to know how this is going to pan out.

While their lips remain locked, she feels Beca’s body turn towards her beneath the water and the woman’s other hand tug gently at her hip. Realising what this means, Chloe obliges, working hard to keep their kiss continuing while she rises slightly, swooping her leg through the hot water and successfully straddling Beca’s hips. The feel of their wet bodies in the hot water sends their arousals higher and Chloe begins rocking her hips, a moan rumbling from the back of her throat as Beca’s hands grip her ass beneath the water.

That moan suddenly becomes louder and Chloe throws her head back as Beca successfully leans her face down to suck one of the redhead’s nipples into her mouth. As Beca’s tongue swirls, stimulating the sensitive body part, Chloe finds her fingers sneaking through Beca’s wet hair, grabbing tufts of it while her hips slow their roll.

A jolt flicks through Chloe’s body as Beca’s hand slips between them, down through the hot water, and her fingers settle between Chloe’s legs.

“God I missed you.” Chloe mumbles against Beca’s lips, and she feels the brunette _smirk_. But before she can tease her for the smirk, Chloe feels two of Beca’s fingers sink into her and the older woman’s eyes roll into the back of her head even with her eyelids closed.

Beca’s other hand finds its way to the small of Chloe’s back to help set the rhythm Chloe needs to reach her best orgasm. Thanks to the hot bubbling water, it doesn’t take Chloe long…


End file.
